Should you need urgent health advice please contact your GP or call NHS 111. In an emergency please visit A&E or call 999
Getting a coronavirus vaccine during pregnancy, breastfeeding or when trying to conceive
You can get vaccinated against COVID-19 if you’re aged 16 or over and:
- you’re pregnant or think you might be
- you’re breastfeeding
- you’re trying for a baby or might get pregnant in the future
You cannot catch COVID-19 from the vaccines and cannot pass it to your baby through your breast milk. Evidence suggests that coronavirus antibodies can be transferred to your baby through your breastmilk or umbilical cord following the vaccine, giving your baby immunity to COVID-19.
If you’re over the age of 40 and breastfeeding, you can have any of the vaccines. If you’re under 40, you should have the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccine.
If you have any concerns about getting the vaccine during pregnancy, you can talk to a GP, your health visitor or maternity team for advice.
You can book your vaccination here.
If you’re under 40, you’ll only be shown appointments for the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccines. If you’re 40 or over, you’ll be asked if you’re pregnant to make sure you’re only shown appointments for these vaccines. When you arrive at your vaccine appointment, please tell the vaccination team that you are pregnant so that this can be recorded.
The vaccines cannot give you or your baby COVID-19. There’s no evidence that COVID-19 vaccines have any effect on your fertility, and there’s no concern if you do get pregnant after being vaccinated. If you wish to discuss this further, speak to a health professional at the fertility clinic.
Coronavirus during pregnancy
About two-thirds of women who test positive for COVID-19 in pregnancy have no symptoms at all. However, some pregnant women can get life-threatening illness from COVID-19 – particularly if they have underlying health conditions.
Hospital admission and severe illness may be more common in pregnant women (compared to those who are not pregnant), especially those in the third trimester of pregnancy, and stillbirth and preterm birth is more likely (compared to pregnant women without COVID-19).
