Pregnancy and newborn
Find vaccination information for pre-pregnancy until 1 years of age below
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Family Hubs vaccination clinics
Free family vaccination clinics are now running across Leicester and Leicestershire to support families and especially those with young children and new-born babies to get protected against preventable viruses.
Clinics are being held at select locations in collaboration with Best Start in Life Family Hubs to make it as easy as possible for everyone in the community to find out information about all routine NHS recommended vaccinations.
Clinics are operating on a walk-in basis and they also offer the opportunity to get vaccinated against any routine vaccines that infants and young children may have missed to help build their immunity against preventable viruses ahead of winter.
Come along and speak to our specialist team.
Upcoming clinic information (including times and locations) will be available as they are confirmed.
Pregnancy vaccines
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
The RSV vaccine is particularly important to have now if your baby is due to be born during winter as this is when the virus is spreading rapidly and can cause serious lung infections (including pneumonia and bronchiolitis), which can make it difficult for babies to breathe and feed. These illnesses may need to be treated in hospital and could be life threatening.
Who is eligible for the new vaccine:
- All pregnant women from 28 weeks pregnancy until delivery.
When you have the RSV vaccine in pregnancy, the protection from the vaccine is passed to your baby. This means your baby is less likely to get severe RSV for the first six months after they’re born.
Having the vaccine in week 28 or within a few weeks of this will help you build a good level of antibodies to pass on to your baby before birth. This will give your baby the best protection, including if they are born early.
Where can I get the RSV vaccine in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland:
If you are currently pregnant there are several ways in which you can get the RSV vaccine this autumn. You can:
- Visit one of the mobile vaccination clinics across LLR. Mobile vaccination clinics offer all eligible people the opportunity to get vaccinated without booking an appointment and to walk-in when suitable for them. To view a full list of upcoming clinics, visit: www.leicesterleicestershireandrutland.icb.nhs.uk/how-to-get-your-vaccine/
- Attend one of the open access vaccination clinics in the antenatal departments at either the Leicester Royal Infirmary or the Leicester General Hospital every weekday, 9:00am until 4:30pm.
- Alternatively, you can access the vaccination from your GP practice.
For more information about how and where to get vaccinated speak to your midwife, GP practice or visit one of our walk-in clinics.
Watch our videos which explain the importance of vaccinations in pregnancy
Playlist
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Whooping cough (Pertussis vaccine)
Cases of whooping cough, also known as pertussis, are rising locally. Babies that are too young to get vaccinated and young children are at greatest risk from developing whooping cough.
Who is eligible for the vaccine:
- The whooping cough vaccine is offered for pregnant women any time after 16 weeks of pregnancy (but ideally given between 16 and 32 weeks of pregnancy for best effect).
- Mothers with an infant less than two months of age who did not receive the vaccination during their pregnancy are also eligible for the vaccine.
Where can I get the whooping cough (pertussis) vaccine in Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland:
If you are currently pregnant there are several ways in which you can get the whooping cough (pertussis) vaccine. You can:
- Visit one of the mobile vaccination clinics across LLR. Mobile vaccination clinics offer all eligible people the opportunity to get vaccinated without booking an appointment and to walk-in when suitable for them. To view a full list of upcoming clinics, visit: www.leicesterleicestershireandrutland.icb.nhs.uk/how-to-get-your-vaccine/
- Attend one of the open access vaccination clinics in the antenatal departments at either the Leicester Royal Infirmary or the Leicester General Hospital every weekday, 9:00am until 4:30pm.
- Alternatively, you can access the vaccination from your GP practice.
*During pregnancy if you need any further information about the whooping cough vaccine you can speak to your midwife.
Whooping cough is a very serious infection, and young babies are most at risk. Most babies with whooping cough will be admitted to hospital.
When you have the whooping cough vaccination in pregnancy, your body produces antibodies to protect against whooping cough. These antibodies pass to your baby giving them some protection until they’re able to have their whooping cough vaccination at 8 weeks old.
Find out more about the whooping cough vaccination in pregnancy
Newborn vaccinations
Your baby needs their first injections at 8 weeks of age starting with the 6-in-1 vaccine.
Vaccinations for babies are offered free of charge in the UK – just book your appointments with your GP practice or with your health visitor.
It’s important that vaccines are given on time for the best protection, but if your child missed a vaccine, contact your GP practice to catch up.
6-in-1 vaccine
The 6-in-1 vaccine helps protect against serious illnesses, like whooping cough. It’s given to babies when they’re 8, 12 and 16 weeks old.
What the 6-in-1 vaccine is for
The 6-in-1 vaccine protects babies against 6 serious illnesses:
Find out more about the 6-in-1 vaccine
Whooping cough (pertussis) rates have risen sharply in recent years and babies who are too young to start their vaccinations are at greatest risk.
Young babies with whooping cough are often very unwell and most will be admitted to hospital because of their illness. When whooping cough is particularly severe, they can die.
The whooping cough vaccine protects babies and children from getting whooping cough. That’s why it’s important to have all the routine NHS vaccinations.
Rotavirus vaccine
The rotavirus vaccine helps protect against rotavirus, a common cause of diarrhoea and vomiting. It’s given to babies when they’re 8 and 12 weeks old.
MenB vaccine
The MenB vaccine helps protect against meningococcal group B bacteria that can cause serious illnesses, including:
- meningitis (an infection in the brain and spinal cord)
- septicaemia (blood poisoning)
- sepsis (a life-threatening reaction to an infection)
It’s given to children when they’re 8 weeks, 16 weeks and 1 year old.
Pneumococcal vaccine
The pneumococcal vaccine helps protect against some types of bacterial infections that can cause serious illnesses like:
- meningitis (an infection in the brain and spinal cord)
- sepsis (a life-threatening reaction to an infection)
- pneumonia (an infection in the lungs)
It can also help protect against other illnesses such as sinusitis and ear infections.
It’s given to babies when they are 12 weeks and a booster dose at 1 year.
Flu vaccine
The autumn/winter 2025/26 flu vaccination programme has now finished. Information relating to the flu vaccination programme for autumn/winter 2026/27 will be advertised on here shortly before the vaccination programme is due to start.