Vaccination and pregnancy: About vaccines  

On this page

• Importance of vaccination
• Types of vaccines

Importance of vaccination

Vaccines help protect you and your baby by preparing your immune system to recognize and destroy specific germs. Some of these germs can cause:

• birth defects
• preterm labour and premature birth
• miscarriage (losing a baby before birth)
• death

Types of vaccines

There are different types of vaccines.

In pregnancy, it's important to remember that live attenuated vaccines are generally not given. However, in some specific cases, a health care provider may recommend vaccination with a live attenuated vaccine. This might happen when the risk of catching an infection is high, such as during an outbreak.

For more information on types of vaccines and vaccine safety, visit the vaccine safety and possible side effects page.

Related links

• Vaccination and pregnancy (printable poster)
• Caring for Kids (Canadian Paediatric Society)
  • Vaccine safety: Canada's system
  • A parent's guide to immunization information on the Internet
• Pregnancyinfo.ca
• A Parent's Guide to Vaccination
• Immunize Canada