Travel health in pregnancy
Travel vaccines in pregnancy: which are safe?
Travelling while pregnant raises understandable questions about which vaccines are safe. The short version: inactivated (non-live) vaccines are generally considered safe when you need them, while most live vaccines are usually avoided unless the risk from the disease clearly outweighs it — but it is always an individual decision.
Medically reviewed by Muhammad Adnan, Superintendent Pharmacist (GPhC 2073652) · based on NHS and NaTHNaC (TravelHealthPro) guidance · last reviewed June 2026.
Inactivated vs live vaccines — the key idea
What decides whether a travel vaccine can be used in pregnancy is whether it is inactivated (no live organism) or live (a weakened form). Inactivated vaccines can't cause the infection and are generally considered safe when genuinely needed. Live vaccines carry a theoretical risk, so they are usually avoided — though a serious disease in a high-risk destination can outweigh that.
Generally OK when needed (inactivated)
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B
- Typhoid — injectable (Vi) vaccine
- Tetanus / diphtheria / polio
- Rabies
- Japanese encephalitis
- Influenza (flu) and COVID-19
- Meningitis ACWY
Usually avoided (live)
- Yellow Fever
- MMR (measles, mumps, rubella)
- Chickenpox (varicella)
- BCG (tuberculosis)
- Typhoid — oral capsules (these are live; the injection is not)
⚠️ "Usually avoided" can change if you cannot avoid a genuinely high-risk destination — decided case by case.
Yellow Fever in pregnancy
Yellow Fever vaccine is live and is generally avoided in pregnancy. But Yellow Fever disease is serious, so if you cannot avoid travel to an area where it genuinely circulates, vaccination may still be the safer option after a careful risk assessment. If the vaccine isn't suitable and a country requires a certificate, we can discuss a medical exemption (waiver) certificate. Check your route with our Yellow Fever certificate checker →
Malaria in pregnancy
This is important: pregnant women are at higher risk of severe malaria. Wherever possible, the safest choice is to avoid travel to malaria-risk areas during pregnancy. If you must go, rigorous mosquito-bite avoidance is essential, and some antimalarial tablets are suitable in pregnancy while others are not — decided at your consultation. Please don't buy or start antimalarials without that advice.
Always tell us if you are pregnant, might be, or are breastfeeding when you book — and ideally before you book your trip. Every recommendation here is a general guide; your plan is decided by an individual assessment with a clinician.
Pregnancy FAQ
Pregnancy & travel vaccines — your questions answered
Important: This page is general information based on NHS and NaTHNaC (TravelHealthPro) guidance and is not a substitute for individual medical advice. Vaccine and antimalarial decisions in pregnancy are always made on an individual basis. Sources: TravelHealthPro — pregnancy and travel · NHS — travelling in pregnancy.
Pregnant and planning a trip?
Book an individual pre-travel assessment at our Timperley clinic, near Manchester. We'll advise on which vaccines are appropriate for you, malaria, and food, water and general safety — serving Manchester, Trafford, Stockport and Cheshire.