Whooping cough, flu, RSV and COVID-19 — every vaccine routinely recommended in pregnancy in Australia, with timing and funding. Based on the Australian Immunisation Handbook and NCIRS.
Three are funded in every pregnancy under the National Immunisation Program (NIP) for Medicare-eligible women. COVID-19 is different: since 1 October 2026, ATAGI says a dose may be considered from 20 weeks of gestation in each pregnancy, and “consider” doses are not NIP-funded — so it is a private purchase unless you are in a funded group (for example, 18–64 with severe immunocompromise, or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander 50+). Source: ATAGI statement, 7 September 2026.
All four can be given at the same visit, in different injection sites. Your GP or midwife can talk you through timing.
A single dose of a pertussis-containing vaccine (dTpa — brand names Boostrix or Adacel, which also cover diphtheria and tetanus) is recommended in every pregnancy, even if pregnancies are closely spaced, because your antibody levels wane over time.
Why it matters: whooping cough is most dangerous for babies too young to have started their own vaccinations (the first NIP dose is at 6 weeks). Vaccination in pregnancy lets your antibodies cross the placenta and protect your baby from birth — reducing infant pertussis risk in the first 3–4 months of life by around 90%.
Pregnant women are at higher risk of severe illness from flu, including hospitalisation, and flu in pregnancy is also linked to a higher risk of complications for the baby. The flu vaccine is free under the NIP in every pregnancy, at any stage, and is recommended even outside the usual flu season if travelling to the northern hemisphere winter.
Vaccinating in pregnancy also passes protective antibodies to your baby, who can't be vaccinated against flu themselves until 6 months of age.
A single dose of Abrysvo from 28 weeks gestation (ideally before 36 weeks) lets your antibodies cross the placenta and protect your newborn from RSV — a common cause of serious respiratory illness in young babies — for up to 6 months after birth. Free under the NIP. Arexvy (the other RSV vaccine, for older adults) is not used in pregnancy.
ATAGI (7 September 2026) says a COVID-19 dose may be considered from 20 weeks of gestation in each pregnancy; for people with risk factors for severe COVID-19 it is safe to receive at any time during pregnancy. It can be given at the same visit as whooping cough, RSV and flu vaccines. Since 1 October 2026 “consider” doses are not funded under the NIP, so vaccination in pregnancy is a private purchase unless you are in a funded group (for example, 18–64 with severe immunocompromise, or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander 50+). Talk to your GP or midwife about what applies to you. Full COVID-19 funding guide → Source: ATAGI statement ↗; Department of Health ↗.
Most live vaccines are contraindicated during pregnancy, including MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) and varicella (chickenpox). The HPV and yellow fever vaccines are also not recommended in pregnancy. If you need any of these, they're usually given before conceiving or after you've given birth — ask your GP about timing if you're planning a pregnancy.
Yes — a dose is recommended in every pregnancy, even closely spaced ones, because antibody protection wanes over time and each baby needs their own passive protection at birth. Source: Australian Immunisation Handbook ↗
Yes. Whooping cough, flu, RSV and COVID-19 vaccines can all be given at the same visit, in different injection sites. Source: NCIRS ↗
The vaccines recommended in pregnancy (dTpa, flu, RSV, COVID-19) are non-live, inactivated or protein-based vaccines and are recommended specifically because their safety in pregnancy is well established — this is different from the live vaccines that are avoided in pregnancy. Talk to your GP or midwife about your individual circumstances.