The British Society for Immunology (BSI) has published a new vaccination guide to support those who are pregnant with clear, evidence-based information on how vaccines work during pregnancy and how they help protect both parent and baby. The guide, endorsed by IMPRINT (the Immunising Pregnant Women and Infants Network), provides practical advice on which vaccines are offered during pregnancy, when to get them, and their safety and effectiveness.
The current NHS vaccination schedule for pregnant people includes three vaccines administered at different points during pregnancy, including the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine made available last year.
RSV is a common virus that affects 90% of children by age two and previously led to around 30,000 hospitalisations in infants every year in the UK. New UK data shows that since the RSV vaccination programme was introduced in September 2024 it has reduced hospitalisations by 72% for babies whose mothers were vaccinated at least 14 days before birth.1 Despite the health benefits that vaccines confer, uptake during pregnancy remains well below the target of 95%. In England, uptake of the whooping cough vaccine during pregnancy dropped to 58.9% in 2023, down from over 70% in previous years.2
The BSI’s new guide aims to empower expectant parents with clear, evidence-based information explaining how vaccines work and their ingredients, why they are important during pregnancy and breastfeeding, and which vaccines the NHS recommends and when to get them. The guide also includes a section with answers to frequently asked questions about safety, effectiveness and side effects.
Understanding how the immune system changes during pregnancy is key to knowing why vaccines are important. Rather than being suppressed, the immune system adapts to protect both parent and baby, but these changes can increase vulnerability to infections like flu, which may lead to serious complications such as pneumonia or premature birth. Vaccination during pregnancy helps reduce these risks and also passes protective antibodies to the baby, offering crucial early protection while their immune system develops.
The BSI’s guide explains these changes, helping to build confidence by answering common questions and addressing concerns around vaccination.
Dr Viki Male, BSI Member and Senior Lecturer in Reproductive Immunology, Imperial College London, said:
"Vaccination during pregnancy is the only way to protect newborn babies against two diseases that can hospitalise them – whooping cough and RSV. It’s also the best way to avoid severe illness from flu, which can be very serious during pregnancy. Before making a decision about vaccination, expectant parents naturally want to know how vaccines in pregnancy work, and what has been done to ensure they are safe and effective. This guide from the British Society for Immunology puts that information in their hands."
Dr Jennie Evans, Director of External Affairs at the British Society for Immunology, said:
"Pregnancy can be both joyful and overwhelming, and expectant parents deserve clear, trustworthy information to help them feel confident in their health choices. The British Society for Immunology have created a guide that is accessible and evidence-based, answering common questions and supporting healthcare professionals and the NHS to raise awareness about how vaccines help keep both pregnant people and their baby safe."
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Notes for editors
You can download a copy of the British Society for Immunology’s guide to vaccinations during pregnancy here: https://www.immunology.org/vaccinations-during-pregnancy. The BSI guides are designed to answer common questions around how vaccinations work and why they are important.
For more information, please contact:
Madeline Crouch, Marketing and Communications Officer
Tel: +44(0) 7469 211 488
Email: m.crouch@immunology.org
Jennie Evans, Director of External Affairs
Tel: +44(0) 7703 807 444
Email: j.evans@immunology.org
The British Society for Immunology (BSI) represents scientists and clinicians who study the immune system. Its mission is to support the immunology community to drive scientific discovery and improve health by fostering collaboration, developing talent, and shaping a positive environment for research and impact.
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The guide is endorsed by IMPRINT, the Immunising Pregnant Women and Infants Network. IMPRINT aims to build a sustainable network of researchers, industry, public health and policy makers, to tackle the challenges in the best use of vaccines in pregnancy and in newborns, and in the long term to improve maternal and newborn health.
References:
- Williams et al. 2025 Bivalent prefusion F vaccination in pregnancy and respiratory syncytial virus hospitalisation in infants in the UK: results of a multicentre, test-negative, case-control study. The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health DOI: 10.1016/S2352-4642(25)00155-5
- UK Health Security Agency, GOV.UK Whooping cough infections rise (published March 2024)