Vaccinating during pregnancy protects newborn babies' health

What the research found

Australian health guidance says the RSV vaccine, recommended from 28 weeks of pregnancy, protects newborns from RSV. It says the flu vaccine in pregnancy protects babies for their first 6 months, because protective antibodies cross the placenta. Babies under 6 months are too young to have the flu vaccine themselves.

RSV vaccination in pregnancy has been tested in large phase 3 randomised trials. Pregnant women at 24 to 36 weeks were given the vaccine or a placebo. Researchers then tracked severe RSV lung illness in their babies for up to 180 days after birth. A 2024 Cochrane review looked at trials of this kind. A 2026 French study compared maternal RSV vaccination with an antibody injection given to babies.

For whooping cough, Australian immunisation guidance recommends a vaccine in every pregnancy, ideally between 20 and 32 weeks. Without maternal vaccination, Australia averaged 1 infant death and more than 200 hospitalisations a year in babies under 6 months. These babies are too young to be fully immunised.

What it doesn’t mean

• This applies to the vaccines recommended in pregnancy, not all vaccines. Live vaccines are generally avoided in pregnancy, while inactivated vaccines are generally considered safe.
• Protection is for the first months of life. Babies still need their own scheduled vaccines, starting at 6 weeks for whooping cough.
• Timing matters. The RSV vaccine is recommended from 28 weeks and the whooping cough vaccine ideally between 20 and 32 weeks. Talk to your GP, midwife or obstetrician about which vaccines you need and when.