Vaccinations During Pregnancy — Protection for Mom and Baby 

Published Sep 19, 2024

Dr. Melissa Tepe
Chief Medical Officer
Affinia Healthcare, St. Louis

Recommended Vaccines During Pregnancy

The vaccines recommended in pregnancy are safe for you and your baby. The vaccines are effective at preventing illness for you and your baby. Pregnant women and babies are at higher risk of serious illness, including hospitalization and pregnancy complications, so the vaccines are that much more important for a healthy mom and baby. 

• Flu Vaccine 
  • safe and effective at preventing the flu for mom and baby 
  • can be given with the other vaccines and at any time during pregnancy 
  • mom’s antibodies will help protect baby until baby can receive the vaccine at 6 months 
• COVID-19 Vaccine 
  • safe and effective at preventing COVID-19 for mom and baby 
  • can be given with the other vaccines and at any time during pregnancy 
  • mom’s antibodies will help protect baby until baby can receive the vaccine at 6 months 
• RSV Vaccine 
  • safe and effective at preventing RSV for mom and baby 
  • can be given with the other vaccines 
  • recommended between 32-36 weeks of pregnancy during RSV season 
  • mom’s antibodies will help protect baby during RSV season 
  • There is a newborn RSV antibody injection that will be recommended if mom has not received the vaccine; however, the supply was less reliable last year. If mom receives the vaccines in pregnancy, the newborn does not need this injection. 
• Tdap (Pertussis/Whooping Cough) 
  • safe and effective at preventing pertussis for mom and baby 
  • recommended to be given at or after 28 weeks of pregnancy for the baby to have the most protection during the highest risk period of infancy 
  • can be given with the other vaccines 
  • mom’s antibodies will help protect baby until baby can receive the vaccine at 2 months 

Vaccines during pregnancy are safe and effective for mom and baby. 

There is often misinformation regarding vaccines causing pregnancy problems or harming a fetus. Research shows that the above vaccines do not cause pregnancy problems, birth defects or autism in children. Vaccines have been used for many years in millions of pregnancies. 

A Word of Advice from Dr. Tepe 

“Ask questions and obtain reliable, accurate information. Vaccines are safe, effective, and the best way to protect yourself and baby. Medical professionals want to give you the latest, accurate and true information. We love your questions. We know you want the very best for you and your baby. We want the very best for you and your baby. We also understand that sometimes we will not agree. That is okay. We will continue to care for you with the very best information and evidence. The above vaccines are recommended in all pregnancies unless allergy or other very specific factors. There are other vaccines that may be considered in special populations so speak with your pregnancy professional about those specific situations.” 

A Note for Providers 

Vaccines are our best protection for mom and baby as they are both at much higher risk of severe illness and pregnancy complications from the viruses. Vaccines are safe and can be given together.  

About the Author 

Dr. Melissa Tepe is the Chief Medical Officer at Affinia Healthcare in St. Louis. Dr. Tepe grew up on a farm in southern Illinois, an hour outside of St. Louis. She graduated from Yale University in 1999. She completed her M.D. from Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, N.Y., in 2005, and a master’s in public health at Columbia University during medical school on academic scholarship. Dr. Tepe completed her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Washington University/Barnes-Jewish Hospital in 2009. She began as an OB/GYN at Affinia Healthcare in 2009, one of the largest community health centers in Missouri, and still considers this her dream job.  

She is a Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and volunteer clinical faculty in the Department of OB/GYN at Washington University. In 2014, she became Chief Medical Officer at Affinia Healthcare. As CMO, Dr. Tepe leads work in many areas of primary care, including Affinia Healthcare’s response to the maternal health crisis, COVID-19 pandemic and other chronic conditions, including diabetes, hypertension, mental health, substance abuse and pediatric care. She is honored to work with dedicated, compassionate, and intelligent individuals every day who make the choice to believe and live out our mission to provide high-quality health care and exceptional service, while promoting healthy lifestyles and equitable health outcomes.  

Outside of work, she loves to relax on the family farm, enjoy new restaurants with her husband, attend every one of her children’s events, garden and read great historical fiction.