You are at higher risk for serious health problems from influenza when you are pregnant. If you get influenza while pregnant, you are at higher risk of being admitted to hospital. The illness may result in your baby being born too soon.
Protection
Getting the influenza vaccine will protect you and your baby while you are pregnant. The protection you get from the vaccine may transfer across the placenta and remain with your baby for a short time after birth.
When you’re immunized against influenza, your baby is less likely to:
- be born too soon
- be small for their gestational age
- have a low birth weight
When to get the vaccine
The influenza vaccine is recommended every year because the influenza virus changes. You can get the influenza vaccine at any time during your pregnancy, but the best time is October or November, before the influenza season begins. You can still get the vaccine at any time during the influenza season, which usually starts in late fall and lasts through the winter.
Standard-dose and high-dose influenza vaccine
There are 2 strengths of inactivated (killed) influenza vaccine: standard-dose and high-dose. The virus these vaccines contain cannot cause influenza. They are given by injection.
The standard-dose influenza vaccine is for most healthy people age 6 months to 64 years. Studies show that the standard-dose influenza vaccine will not harm you or your baby if you get it while you are pregnant.
The high-dose influenza vaccine has more of the inactivated influenza virus than the standard-dose. It gives more protection against influenza for people with a higher risk of getting very sick. People age 18 to 64 years who have had CAR T-cell therapy, who have had a stem cell transplant, or who have had or will have an organ transplant are recommended to get the high-dose influenza vaccine.
Using the high-dose influenza vaccine in people under age 65 years is called “off-label use”. Off-label use means the vaccine is used differently than the way it was originally approved. Vaccine experts support this off-label use and have no safety concerns.
If you are pregnant and have had CAR T-cell therapy, a stem cell transplant, or have had or will have an organ transplant, talk to your healthcare provider about which influenza vaccine is recommended for you.
Nasal spray
The nasal spray influenza vaccine is a live vaccine with a weakened living virus. It is not recommended if you are pregnant.
It is safe for you and your baby to have contact with someone who gets the nasal spray influenza vaccine.
Breastfeeding/chestfeeding
The injected standard-dose and nasal spray influenza vaccines are safe to get when breastfeeding/chestfeeding.
If you have had CAR T-cell therapy, a stem cell transplant, or have had or will have an organ transplant, talk to your healthcare provider about which influenza vaccine is recommended for you.
Learn more about the influenza vaccine.