Infographics

Learn more about each type of vaccine recommended in pregnancy and how they work to protect you and your baby.

How Do Flu and Tdap Vaccines Work in Pregnancy?

Vaccines work by giving your body a safe “preview” of a germ (virus or bacteria), which helps your body learn to defend against the real thing. Flu and Tdap vaccines do this by showing your body dead pieces of a germ, known as antigens.

These antigens are harmless because they aren’t alive–they have been killed or “switched off.” When you get vaccinated, your body treats these antigens like the real germ. It responds by making protective antibodies that will recognize and fight off the real germ if you’re exposed to it in the future.

During pregnancy, these protective antibodies will pass to your baby through the placenta, giving them early protection against the flu and pertussis (whooping cough) until they are old enough for their own vaccines.

Download PDF infographic here.

How Do mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines Work in Pregnancy?

mRNA vaccines have a different way of training your body to fight against germs. Instead of using dead pieces of a germ, mRNA COVID-19 vaccines (like Pfizer or Moderna) give your body the instructions for making harmless copies of a piece of the COVID-19 virus. Your body treats these harmless copies like the actual COVID-19 virus. It responds by making protective antibodies that will recognize and defend against the real COVID-19 virus if you ever get it in the future.

During pregnancy, these protective antibodies will pass to your baby through the placenta, giving them early protection against the COVID-19 virus at birth and over the first few months of life.

Download PDF infographic here.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common virus that spreads very easily through coughing, sneezing, and contact with contaminated surfaces. RSV is especially dangerous for babies under six months of age. There are currently two options available to protect your baby against RSV. These include the RSV maternal vaccine (RSVpreF) given between 32 and 36 weeks of pregnancy, OR the infant antibody (Nirsevimab), which is given to babies as a single shot shortly after they are born. Choosing between the maternal RSVpreF vaccine or Nirsevimab depends on your personal preferences, the availability of each product in your province or territory, and cost.

Download PDF infographic here.

Flu Vaccine: Benefits & What to Expect

Getting a flu shot when you're pregnant is a safe and effective way of protecting both you and your baby from the flu. Having the flu during pregnancy can lead to serious problems like preterm birth (birth that begins too early). Getting the flu vaccine helps protect your baby from the flu at birth and over the first few months of life. Babies can’t get their own flu vaccine until they are six months old. Until then, the vaccine you get during pregnancy will give them the best early protection from the flu virus.

Download PDF infographic here.

    1. Nunes MC, Cutland CL, Jones S, Hugo A, Madimabe R, Simoes EA, et al. Duration of infant protection against influenza illness conferred by maternal immunization: secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Pediatr. 2016;170(9):840-7.

    2. Benowitz I, Esposito DB, Gracey KD, Shapiro ED, Vázquez M. Influenza vaccine given to pregnant women reduces hospitalization due to influenza in their infants. Clin Infect Dis. 2010;51(12):1355-61.

    3. Steinhoff MC, Katz J, Englund JA, Khatry SK, Shrestha L, Kuypers J, et al. Year-round influenza immunisation during pregnancy in Nepal: a phase 4, randomised, placebo-controlled trial. Lancet Infect Dis. 2017;17(9):981-9.

    4. Madhi SA, Cutland CL, Kuwanda L, Weinberg A, Hugo A, Jones S, et al. Influenza vaccination of pregnant women and protection of their infants. N Engl J Med. 2014;371(10):918-31.

    5. Regan AK, Tracey LE, Blyth CC, Richmond PC, Effler PV. A prospective cohort study assessing the reactogenicity of pertussis and influenza vaccines administered during pregnancy. Vaccine. 2016;34(20):2299-304.

Tdap Vaccine: Benefits & What to Expect

Getting the Tdap vaccine during pregnancy is an important step in protecting both you and your baby from harmful germs like pertussis (whooping cough). Pertussis can be very dangerous for newborns.

The Tdap vaccine helps protect your baby against pertussis at birth and over the first few months after they’re born. Babies can’t get vaccinated against pertussis until they are two months old. Until then, the vaccine you get during pregnancy will provide them with the best early protection from pertussis.

Download PDF infographic here.

    1. Amirthalingam G, Andrews N, Campbell H, Ribeiro S, Kara E, Donegan K, et al. Effectiveness of maternal pertussis vaccination in England: an observational study. Lancet. 2014;384(9953):1521-8. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(14)60686-3.

    2. Vargas-Zambrano JC, Clark LR, Johnson DR, Monfredo C, Pool V, Li L, et al. Prenatal tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis vaccine effectiveness at preventing infant pertussis. Vaccine. 2023;41(18):2968-75. doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2023.03.048.

    3. Winter K, Cherry JD, Harriman K. Effectiveness of prenatal tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis vaccination on pertussis severity in infants. Clin Infect Dis. 2017;64(1):9-14. doi:10.1093/cid/ciw.

    4. McMillan M, Clarke M, Parrella A, Fell DB, Amirthalingam G, Marshall HS. Safety of tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis vaccination during pregnancy: a systematic review. Obstet Gynecol. 2017;129(3):560-73. doi:10.1097/AOG.0000000000001888.

    5. Regan AK, Tracey LE, Blyth CC, Richmond PC, Effler PV. A prospective cohort study assessing the reactogenicity of pertussis and influenza vaccines administered during pregnancy. Vaccine. 2016;34(20):2299-304. doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2016.03.084.