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Why flu shot during pregnancy?

The flu can be serious when you are pregnant. According to foreign research, about 11,000 pregnant women in the Netherlands get the flu each year, about 45 of them require hospitalization and 1 to 5 need intensive care. Another major risk of the flu is high fever, which can increase the risk of premature birth.

Lower risk for yourself, but especially for your baby

Because newborn babies do not yet have sufficient immunity, they can also become seriously ill with the flu. Due to very shortness of breath, there is an increased risk of hospitalization. In the Netherlands, an estimated 10-15% of all newborns get the flu each year. Each year about 300 newborns develop symptoms such as tightness of the chest and shortness of breath due to flu, for which they have to be hospitalized. About 10-20 babies are admitted to the intensive care unit each year because of severe flu.

When can I get the flu shot?

  • Because pregnant women and babies can become much sicker from the flu, pregnant women in the Netherlands have been advised to get the flu shot since 2021. Worldwide, pregnant women have been getting this advice for much longer.
  • The risk of getting the flu is reduced by 30% by getting the flu shot. But more importantly, it greatly reduces the chance that you or your baby will become seriously ill with the flu after birth, if you or your baby does get it.
  • You get the flu shot not only for yourself, we know from research that the baby is also protected if its mother got the flu shot in pregnancy.
fantoom baby in buik

Frequently asked questions about the flu shot during pregnancy

In the first few months after birth, your baby's immune system is not yet strong enough to overcome the flu. As a result, newborn babies can become seriously ill from the flu. By getting vaccinated during pregnancy, your body makes antibodies against the flu. These antibodies also pass to your baby through the placenta. Thus, your child is protected from the flu from birth.

Although the flu shot has only been advised to pregnant women in the Netherlands since 2021, it has been given for many years in many other countries. As a result, much data is available on safety. This shows that the flu shot has no negative effects on the pregnant woman or her baby!