Newborn Coming Into Your Life? Here’s What Vaccines You Should Get

They say it takes a village to raise a child. And when it comes to a newborn’s health, it also takes a village to keep them safe from germs.

The vaccines you get can help lessen the risk of exposing babies to germs that their bodies aren’t ready to fight off.

That’s why certain vaccines are recommended for people who’ll be around newborns. People like siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, close friends, babysitters ... whoever will spend time with the baby.

“We’ve learned that there are certain infections that are prevalent in the population that maybe wouldn’t get an adult too sick but that can affect the newborn more significantly,” says Ob/Gyn Selena Zanotti, MD. “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other organizations have looked at trying to find ways to prevent significant infections for newborns. And that’s where vaccine recommendations for caregivers come from.”

So, what are the recommended vaccines for people who’ll be around newborns? Dr. Zanotti shares what you need to know.

Vaccines for baby’s family and other caregivers

Vaccines are recommended for anyone who’ll spend time with newborns because little babies are susceptible to all kinds of illnesses. They haven’t been part of this world long enough to build up immunity to viruses and bacteria. It’s all so new to them.

Some vaccines are recommended while you're pregnant, and they can help keep baby healthy. But other people in your baby’s inner circle can make a difference, too.

“When babies are born, their immune systems aren’t fully developed,” Dr. Zanotti explains. “If the people around them are vaccinated against infections, it helps keep the baby protected.”

Babies get a lot of vaccines in the first months and years of their lives. But not all at once. And many of them can’t be given to babies until they reach a certain age.

So, the people around them can help protect the babies in their lives by building their own immunity against harmful infections. If you’re vaccinated, it significantly lowers the opportunity for you to pass those germs on to a baby.

Vaccines keep you healthier. Which keeps baby healthier. Wins all around.

Dr. Zanotti recommends three vaccines in particular for people who’ll be spending time with a newborn baby. They are:

• Tdap vaccines
• Flu vaccines
• COVID-19 vaccines

Let’s take a look at each.

Tdap: Tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (aka, whopping cough)

The Tdap vaccine has been an important protective measure during pregnancy for years. It’s typically given early in the third trimester.

But pregnant women aren’t the only ones who should get a Tdap vaccine. It’s also highly recommended for anyone who’ll spend time with a baby.

Tdap protects you (and, therefore, the newborn) against three different infections:

1. Tetanus: This bacterial infection affects your nervous system and causes painful muscle contractions. It causes your neck and jaw muscles to lock up, which is why it’s also called lockjaw.
2. Diphtheria: This highly contagious bacterial infection causes significant problems with swallowing and breathing.
3. Pertussis (whopping cough): This respiratory infection causes severe and violent coughing and can be life-threatening in babies.

Tdap vaccines are intended for people over the age of 10. Healthy babies typically receive three doses of the DTaP vaccine, which protects them against the same diseases.

DTaP vaccines are recommended for healthy babies at 2 months, 4 months and 6 months old. They’re not fully protected until after their third dose.

The Tdap vaccine is recommended for anyone who’ll be around babies and who hasn’t received the vaccine in the past 10 years. Children who’ll be around the newborn should also be up to date on the DTaP vaccine.

Of the three illnesses that the Tdap vaccine protects against, it’s pertussis that’s the most dangerous for newborns.

“Several years ago, there was a rise in pertussis cases nationally. There were newborns that were dying from it,” Dr. Zanotti shares. “We found that adults who are not vaccinated can have mild cases of pertussis, not realize it and then transmit it to a newborn.”

Important to know: Even if you’ve had a tetanus shot in the past 10 years, that doesn’t mean that you were vaccinated with Tdap. Tetanus boosters can be given separately from Tdap. But the Tdap shot is the only vaccine against pertussis.

If you’re unsure when your last Tdap vaccine was, talk with a healthcare provider. They can test you to see if you’re due for a booster.

Flu vaccine

The flu vaccine is your best defense against the flu. And while for some people, the flu may seem like nothing serious, others can become seriously ill from the flu. That includes the newborn in your life.

“Adults may not get very sick from the flu, so they may not think too much about it. But transmission can make a newborn very ill,” Dr. Zanotti emphasizes.

It’s recommended that you get a flu shot when you're pregnant. People who’ll be around newborns should also get a flu shot each year. That includes older siblings and other children in the house. Plan to get your flu vaccine early on in respiratory season if you can — that’s around September or October in the Northern Hemisphere.

Thousands of children are hospitalized from the flu each year, the CDC reports. That’s because the flu can cause serious complications in babies and kids under the age of 5, like:

• Pneumonia
• Dehydration
• Ear infections

Babies can’t get their first flu vaccine until about they’re about 6 months old. They usually need a second dose of the vaccine about a month later.

COVID-19 vaccine

Thanks in part to COVID-19 vaccines, more than 98% of the population in the United States has some protective immunity against COVID-19, according to the CDC.

But not new babies. They can’t get their first vaccination for COVID-19 until they’re 6 months old.

The COVID-19 vaccine can help keep you (and the baby in your life) safe from severe COVID-19 infection.

Help protect them by ensuring you’re fully vaccinated against COVID-19. That means getting the most updated vaccine as it becomes available. That’s typically in the fall.

Continue to practice caution

Even when people around your baby are vaccinated against these conditions, babies can still get sick — from people outside their protective (and fully vaccinated) village and from other illnesses.

If your baby will spend time in a childcare center or home daycare facility, ask about their vaccination policy — both for the people working there and the other children they’ll be around.

And always follow proper infection-mitigation strategies:

• Wash your hands before holding or touching the baby.
• Consider wearing a mask.
• Stay away if you’re not feeling well.
• Discourage strangers or people who aren’t fully vaccinated from handling your baby.

It’s all about managing risk, Dr. Zanotti says. And the more you can lower the risk of infection from those closest to your baby, the better chance they have of staying healthy.