Pregnant women are offered vaccinations against influenza and covid-19

Most pregnant women who are infected with influenza or covid-19 have only mild symptoms. But pregnant women are at higher risk of becoming severely ill from influenza and covid-19. The risk increases as the pregnancy progresses. Therefore, vaccination against covid-19 and influenza is recommended for all women in the second or third trimester of pregnancy.

Being vaccinated against influenza and covid-19 reduces the risk of getting severely ill. Both vaccines are safe for the pregnant woman and the unborn baby.

When you are vaccinated during your pregnancy, your baby is automatically also protected for some time after the birth.

Free vaccination

Vaccination is free for pregnant women in the period from 1 October to 20 December 2024.

You are not protected against influenza even if you have had the disease before or have been vaccinated before. This is because there are several types of influenza, and influenza viruses can change from year to year. Also, the effect of the influenza vaccine wears off after about six months.

If you have been infected with covid-19 previously or have been vaccinated, you are probably protected against severe illness  to some extent , but you can still become infected with covid-19 and, as a pregnant woman, you may be at higher risk of becoming severely ill. This is because the covid-19 virus changes over time, while the effectiveness of the vaccine wears off over time.

If you are pregnant and have never been vaccinated against covid-19 before, we recommend that you should be vaccinated from the first trimester.