## ACOG Updates Recommendations for Maternal Vaccinations
August 25, 2025 | 3 min read
## Key takeaways:
- ACOG continues to recommend RSV, influenza and COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy.
- The new guidance “underscores the safety and benefits” of these vaccines for both mother and baby.
- ACOG also recommends the updated 2024-2025 formulation of the influenza vaccine.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has released updated guidance on vaccinations during pregnancy, continuing its recommendations for RSV, influenza and COVID-19 vaccination.
According to a press release, the updated guidance “underscores the safety and benefits” of these vaccines for both mother and baby.ACOG also recommends the updated 2024-2025 formulation of the influenza vaccine.
“Vaccination during pregnancy is safe and effective and can protect both the pregnant person and their developing baby from serious illness,” ACOG stated. “ACOG encourages all pregnant people to stay up to date on recommended vaccinations.”
The updated recommendations come as the fall and winter seasons approach,when respiratory viruses like RSV,influenza and COVID-19 are more prevalent. Vaccination is considered the most effective way to protect against these viruses.For RSV, ACOG recommends that pregnant individuals receive a single dose of an RSV vaccine between 32 and 36 weeks of gestation during RSV season. This vaccination helps protect the baby from severe illness in the first few months of life.
Regarding influenza, ACOG recommends that pregnant individuals receive an influenza vaccine annually, ideally before the start of influenza season. The updated 2024-2025 formulation of the vaccine is now available.
ACOG continues to recommend that pregnant individuals receive an updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine, irrespective of prior vaccination status.
the full guidance can be found on the ACOG website.
ACOG Updates Guidance on RSV, Flu and COVID-19 Vaccination During Pregnancy
Table of Contents
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has released updated guidance on vaccinations for pregnant individuals, covering RSV, influenza, and COVID-19.
RSV guidance
ACOG now recommends that pregnant patients receive an RSV vaccine to protect their infants against severe respiratory illness. The organization in a press release said that patients “should also understand that if they decline the maternal RSV vaccination, their infant needs a monoclonal antibody at birth.”
“The RSV vaccine provides our pregnant patients with the ability to protect their infants against severe respiratory illness before they are even born,” Brenna L. Hughes,MD,FACOG,a guideline author,said in the release. “The RSV vaccine is a powerful tool that allows us to keep infants healthier and prevent hospitalizations and even has the potential to save lives.”
Influenza Guidance
ACOG recommends that all patients who are or will be pregnant during influenza season receive a recombinant or inactivated influenza vaccine as soon as it is available, during any trimester of pregnancy.
Healio previously reported that maternal influenza vaccination reduces the risk for influenza-related ED visits or hospitalizations in infants aged younger than 6 months.
The new guidance advises vaccination before the start of influenza season but encourages vaccination at any time during the season, and includes recommendations related to treatment of influenza during pregnancy.
The guidance further acknowledges that the new live-attenuated,intranasally administered influenza vaccine is not yet approved for use in pregnant individuals but “that it coudl be used for postpartum patients,including those who are lactating,who are averse to needle-based vaccines,or who prefer intranasal vaccine management,” ACOG said.
“Decades of data have informed ACOG’s long-standing advice in support of vaccination against the seasonal flu during pregnancy. Unluckily, data show that in recent years, less than half of pregnant patients have chosen to receive the flu vaccine,” Neil S. Silverman, MD, FACOG, a guideline author, said in the release.”all patients should know that the increased risks of influenza to pregnant women and their newborns are real, and that getting vaccinated before delivery can definitely help them and their babies be protected against influenza and stay healthier during and after their pregnancies.”
COVID-19 Guidance
Currently, there are conflicting recommendations regarding COVID-19 vaccination in pregnant women.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in May said that the CDC would no longer recommend COVID-19 vaccines for healthy children and healthy pregnant women.
“While the CDC recently removed its recommendation that pregnant and lactating individuals receive updated COVID-19 vaccines, it’s significant for clinicians and patients to know that ACOG’s recommendations have not changed,” Fleischman told Healio.
In its latest guidance, ACOG recommends that patients receive an updated COVID-19 vaccine or booster:
at any point during pregnancy;
in the postpartum period;
when planning to become pregnant; or
when lactating.
“Pregnant and recently pregnant patients with COVID-19 are at increased risk of more severe illness compared with nonpregOkay, I understand. Please provide the text you want me to revise and improve according to the detailed instructions. I’m ready to:
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