Before pregnancy

It’s important to make sure your vaccinations are up to date if you’re planning to have a baby. Talk to your doctor about vaccinations as part of your pre-conception health check. Consider getting vaccinated against:

  • hepatitis B
  • measles, mumps and rubella (MMR)
  • varicella (chickenpox)
  • COVID-19.

During pregnancy

We recommend you get RSV, flu and whooping cough vaccinations when you’re pregnant. You can get these at the same time or separately.

RSV

Pregnant women between 28 and 36 weeks of pregnancy, are recommended to receive the RSV vaccine.

To protect your baby from RSV when they are born, you should get the vaccine at least 14 days before giving birth.

The RSV vaccine can be safely given alongside other vaccines recommended during pregnancy, including influenza, pertussis (whooping cough) and, if required, COVID-19.

Speak to your healthcare provider about receiving the RSV vaccine during pregnancy.

If you don’t get the RSV vaccine during pregnancy, your baby can still be immunised immediately after birth.

To find out more about RSV vaccinations and immunisations, visit RSV immunisations.

The flu

If you get the flu during pregnancy, you have a high risk of complications. Vaccination will protect you and your baby.

Babies under 6 months can’t be vaccinated against the flu. However, if you have the vaccination during your pregnancy they’ll have some protection for first 6 months of their life.

We recommend you have the vaccine in every pregnancy and at any stage of pregnancy.

If you’ve had the previous year’s vaccine early in your pregnancy you can get the current vaccine later in the same pregnancy.

If you had the vaccine before becoming pregnant you should get it again during your pregnancy.

If you’re breastfeeding, it’s safe to get the vaccine. Doing this will help build your baby’s immunity.

The flu vaccine is free for pregnant women through the National Immunisation Program.

Find out more about the flu.

Whooping cough

Whooping cough is a serious illness that affects the lungs and makes it hard to breathe. It can lead to problems like pneumonia, seizures (fits), and even brain damage if the body doesn’t get enough oxygen for a long time.

It’s also a serious disease for babies and can be deadly.

Having the vaccine in your pregnancy is the best way to protect your baby against whooping cough.

When you get the vaccine, your antibodies will transfer to your unborn baby. This will give them protection in their first few months of life until they’re old enough to be vaccinated.

The whooping cough vaccine is free for pregnant women under the National Immunisation Program.

Find out more about whooping cough.

COVID-19

If you’ve already been vaccinated against COVID-19, you’re not routinely recommended to have another dose during pregnancy. You can consider having a further dose if:

  • you have other conditions that put you at risk
  • you want to have one.

If you’re pregnant, think you may be pregnant or are planning a pregnancy, talk to your health care provider about COVID-19 vaccination.

Vaccination schedule

You might need to get different vaccines during pregnancy. It’s also important that you get your vaccines on time.

If you have medically at-risk conditions, you may need extra vaccines. Talk to your GP or health provider for more information.

Pregnant women

  • dTpa (diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough) – one dose between 20 and 32 weeks gestation for each pregnancy
  • influenza – any time during your pregnancy
  • RSV - one dose is recommended between 28 and 38 weeks gestation.

Where to get vaccinated

Getting vaccinated is easy. You can get most vaccines from your GP, pharmmacy or health provider. Find out where to get vaccinated.

Vaccination information in your language

For information in your language, watch our video.

Before you start the video, select CC to choose your language.

Duration: 3:13

Vaccines for adults and other information

In Australia there are some vaccines recommended and provided for free to adults.

These include vaccines for women during pregnancy for people with some medical conditions and for people older than 65 years of age.

The vaccines given during pregnancy protect the woman and the unborn baby from diseases during pregnancy and in the first few months of the new baby's life.

As we get older, our bodies defences don't work as well and we become more vulnerable to some diseases.

Immunisations can provide protection for older people from these diseases.

Talk to your doctor about your vaccination needs.

To see which vaccines are recommended and provided free under the National Immunisation Programme Schedule in Queensland go to www.vaccinate.initiatives.qld.gov.au/schedule.

If you have questions or concerns about immunisation you can talk to your doctor or your local immunisation provider.

If you need help with English when you talk to them you can use an interpreter by calling 131 450. This service is free.

Australia is one of the safest countries in the world when it comes to vaccine preventable diseases. One of the main reasons for this is because Australia has one of the best immunisation programmes in the world.

Remember, immunisation saves lives.

Find out more

For more information about vaccination, contact your health provider or call 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84) .

Find a vaccination provider

Information in your language

You can find information about vaccination in your language on the Queensland Government website.

Last updated: May 2026

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