In a large population-based British study, there was no increase in adverse pregnancy outcomes due to giving pertussis vaccine during pregnancy.
In order to protect newborn infants from pertussis (whooping cough), in 2011 the U.S. recommendations changed from giving the Tdap vaccine postpartum to giving it while pregnant to women who had not received a dose before. In 2013, the recommendation was updated to give it during every pregnancy.
In 2012, routine immunization in the U.K. with a combination Tdap-IPV vaccine began. Now, researchers followed over 17,000 women after vaccination and there was no increase in the rate of miscarriage or stillbirths for at least 28 days after delivery. In over 6,000 women, there was also no increase in maternal or neonatal death, preeclampsia, hemorrhage, or low birth weight.
Donegan K et al. Safety of pertussis vaccination in pregnant women in UK: Observational study. BMJ 2014 Jul 11; 349:g4219. doi:10.1136/bmj.g4219
