Whooping Cough
Pregnant women are also advised to be vaccinated against whooping cough after their 16th week of pregnancy. This is so that they can help protect their baby against whooping cough.
Whooping cough (medically known as pertussis) is a serious infection that causes long bouts of coughing and choking, making it hard to breathe. The “whoop” is caused by gasping for breath after each bout of coughing, though babies do not always make this noise.
Whooping cough can be serious for babies and may lead to complications resulting in hospitalisation and even death.
Getting vaccinated while you’re pregnant is highly effective in protecting your baby from developing whooping cough in the first few weeks of their life.
The immunity you get from the vaccine will pass to your baby through the placenta and provide passive protection for them until they are old enough to be routinely vaccinated against whooping cough at 8 weeks old.
For more advice and information visit the NHS website
Flu
During pregnancy, your immune system (the body’s natural defence) is weakened to protect the pregnancy. This can mean you’re less able to fight off infections. As the baby grows, you may be unable to breathe as deeply, increasing the risk of infections such as pneumonia.
These changes can raise the risk from flu – pregnant women are more likely to get flu complications than women who are not pregnant and are more likely to be admitted to hospital. Having the flu vaccine means you’re less likely to get flu.
Find out more about the flu jab in pregnancy
More information about vaccinations during pregnancy can be found here.