Its important to stay up to date on your vaccinations. If you plan to become pregnant or are already pregnant, there are specific vaccines that you, and those around you, will need.
What You Can Do
- Make sure your vaccinations are up to date before you get pregnant.
- If you are pregnant, talk to your health care provider about what vaccinations you should get now.
- Vaccinations can help protect you from certain infections that can harm you and your baby during pregnancy.
- Vaccinations you get during pregnancy help keep your baby healthy until they get their own vaccinations.
- The COVID-19 vaccination is safe for pregnant and breast/chest feeding people. The vaccine helps keep you and your baby healthy.
Vaccine Stories
Michelle's Story - Tdap
Meet Michelle and watch her video as she tells of how her daughter, Natalie, nearly died from whooping cough (pertussis) just weeks after being born. Natalie was on life support, suffered serious complications, and was in the hospital for 72 days. Despite the odds Natalie survived! Michelle is now a strong advocate for Tdap vaccination during pregnancy and getting the adult booster vaccine to prevent the spread of whooping cough to babies.
The Das Family’s Story - Flu
Amrita was a healthy, 32-year-old pregnant woman who was happily awaiting the birth of her second child. She had an 18-month-old daughter at home, who became ill with the flu when Amrita was 23 weeks pregnant. Initially, their pediatrician had thought Amrita’s daughter just had a cold, but she eventually developed a high fever and cough. The illness made its way through their household and Amrita and her husband became ill shortly after their daughter. To read the rest of their story visit Flu During Pregnancy | The Das Family (familiesfightingflu.org)
Hannah’s Story - COVID-19
Hannah Coburn, R.N. is a labor and delivery nurse working in Spokane. She has witnessed fatalities from COVID-19 infections at her job. She acknowledged that she had her own hesitations before ultimately deciding to get vaccinated while she was still nursing her newborn child. Read her story at COVID-19 Vaccines and Pregnancy | ParentMap or watch her video Vaccinate WA: Hannah C., RN (:30) - YouTube.