Pregnancy and newborn

Find vaccination information for pre-pregnancy until 1 years of age below

Maternal RSV Text Message If you have recently received a text message from the NHS about having your maternal Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) vaccination, we want to reassure you that this text message is part of our NHS antenatal vaccination programme. We are currently contacting pregnant women to inform you about the opportunity to protect you and your baby against RSV. RSV is a common virus that can cause serious illness in babies, particularly for babies born during the colder winter months. If you have any concerns or queries, please speak to your GP practice or midwife directly.

Pregnancy vaccines

Watch our videos which explain the importance of vaccinations in pregnancy

Playlist

2 أشرطة فيديو

Maternal vaccinations in pregnancy with Dr Virginia Ashman, clinical lead for immunisations at the LLR ICB

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Vaccination in pregnancy this winter Dr Louise Ryan, Clinical Lead, LLR ICB

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Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)

From 1 September 2024 the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine will be available to help protect young babies from becoming seriously unwell from the respiratory virus.

Who is eligible for the new vaccine:

All pregnant women from 28 weeks pregnancy until delivery.

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.

*During pregnancy if you need any further information about the RSV vaccine you can speak to your midwife.

Severe RSV is most common in infants under one years old. Babies are particularly vulnerable to RSV lung infections as they have small airways and have limited immunity against the virus. RSV infection in infants can cause a condition called bronchiolitis which is inflammation and blockage of the small air tubes in the lung. Infants with severe bronchiolitis may need intensive care and the infection can be fatal.

The RSV vaccine boosts the pregnant woman’s immune system to make antibodies which are then passed through the placenta to help protect the baby from birth.

Vaccination reduces the risk of severe RSV lung infection requiring hospital admission by around 70% in the first six months of life.

Based on a recent study in the Lancet, in the East Midlands the new programme could prevent 388 hospital admissions and 1163 A&E attendances for infants each year – a critical, life-saving step forward to help front line staff prepare for increased winter pressures.

Find out more about the RSV vaccination.

“I have seen in the news recently that there has been an increase in vaccine preventable diseases, and it’s important to me to do whatever I can to keep myself and my baby safe as well as others. Babies have low immunity when they are born and It’s much harder for them to fight off illnesses, so I wanted to make sure I had all of my antenatal vaccines to help keep my baby protected.”

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.

Find out more about the rotavirus vaccine.

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.

Find out more about the MenB vaccine.

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.

Find out more about the pneumococcal vaccine.

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.