Vaccinations, while momentarily painful, are a really important way to help keep both yourself, and those around you, safe from some nasty infections. There are a few vaccinations that are relevant to women’s health, including those which prevent cervical cancer and urinary tract infections (UTIs), plus vaccinations that are recommended before, during, or after pregnancy.

Read on, to hear about how you can help to protect the health of both you, and those around (or, in the base of a baby, inside) you!

Gynaecology vaccinations

There are two key vaccinations worth discussing here: the routine teenager vaccination against cervical cancer-causing human papilloma virus (HPV); and the optional vaccination to decrease the chances of having urinary tract infections (UTIs).

Human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccinations

As outlined in our previous blogs about cervical cancer and cervical screening, virtually all cases of cervical cancer are linked to human papilloma virus (HPV). Hence all teenagers (aged 12 – 13yo) are encouraged to receive an HPV vaccination, called ‘Gardasil 9’. This is a single injection, which provides strong protection against the nine most oncogenic (cancer-causing) strains of HPV.

If this teenager vaccination is missed, adults up to the age of 26yo can receive a free ‘catch-up’ Gardasil-9 vaccination through their GP.

After the age of 25yo, a ‘catch-up’ Gardasil-9 vaccination costs approximately $220 out-of-pocket.

Recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs)

A urinary tract infection (or UTI) is a bacterial infection of the urinary system, which most often affects the bladder (where urine is stored), and the urethra (tube through which urine leaves the bladder, and then the body). Approximately 50% of women have a UTI at least once in their lifetime; up to half of those women will have a recurrence within six months.

Over the last two years, an oral vaccine has been developed, which works against the four types of bacteria that most commonly cause UTIs. Called ‘Uromune’, you spray it under your tongue: two sprays, once a day, for three months. It is thought to be over 90% effective at reducing recurrent UTIs after three months; unfortunately, effectiveness drops to 55% after 12 months.

‘Uromune’ is not yet subsidised by the government’s pharmaceutical benefits scheme, so approximately $320 out-of-pocket. You need to see your GP or specialist (urologist or gynaecologist) first: if appropriate, they can apply for approval to prescribe it to you. This approval takes 2 – 3 days, then you need to wait for the ‘Uromune’ to be posted to your doctor’s clinic, to give to you.

Further research is still being undertaken, as to the role of ‘Uromune’ in preventing UTIs in the long-term. It’s unknown whether the Australian Government will ever subsidise this vaccination.

Pre-natal and ante-natal vaccinations

If you are thinking about conceiving (falling pregnant): please see your GP, and ask to have the standard prenatal blood tests done. Theses blood tests include screening for a few infections (as outlined below). If your blood tests show that you are susceptible to these infections (such as measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, and hepatitis B), it’s worth having these vaccinations prenatally (before you conceive), for both you and your future baby.

Once you are actually pregnant, there are a few vaccinations are that routinely recommended antenatally (during pregnancy), to protect you and/or your baby from serious infections: these include influenza, whooping cough, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) .

Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR)

These three viruses are often considered together (in the context of vaccination), as the vaccination against them is often given together (in a single syringe, called M-M-R II or Priorix).

If a woman is susceptible (not immune) to these viruses, and happens to catch it while pregnant, there can be devastating implications for her baby, including: miscarriage, stillbirth, and severe fetal deformities.

Hence, all women who are thinking about falling pregnant should have blood tests to see if they are immune or susceptible to catching measles, mumps and rubella. If you are found to be susceptible to any of these viruses, you should have an MMR vaccination through your GP clinic. It’s important that you wait at least one month after your vaccination before conceiving; this vaccination should not be given to women who are actually pregnant at the time.

If this pre-natal window is missed, susceptible women should receive their MMR vaccination as soon as possible after their baby is born, to provide ongoing protection both to her and her newborn baby.

Varicella (‘chickenpox’)

Like measles, mumps, and rubella, all women who are planning pregnancy should have a blood test to see whether they are susceptible or immune to chickenpox, which is caused by a virus caused varicella. If you are found to be susceptible (not immune), and you’re not yet pregnant, it’s recommended that you have a varicella vaccination, then wait at least one month before falling pregnant.

If you miss this window, and are already pregnant, it’s recommended that you have a varicella vaccination after your baby’s birth.

Hepatitis B

One of the routine blood tests your GP should organise when you are planning to become pregnant is your hepatitis B virus (HBV) immunity. HBV vaccinations are a routine part of Australia’s childhood national immunisation program, but some adults’ immunity may decrease as they age.

If your HBV blood test shows that you’re no longer immune to HBV, it’s safe to have a HBV vaccination at any stage during pregnancy.

Pertussis (‘whooping cough’)

Pertussis is a bacteria which causes ‘whooping cough’. Whooping cough can cause nasty bouts of persistent coughing fits (with a characteristic ‘whooping’ sound). While not a serious disease in adults, it can be life-threatening in young babies.

Hence, Australia’s National Immunisation Program includes routine vaccination against pertussis for young babies at 2, 4, 6 and 18 months of age, plus 4 and 12 years old.

By the time women have children, their immunity from their own childhood vaccinations may have waned. Routine pertussis vaccination (called ‘Boostrix’) is recommended every pregnancy, between 20 – 32 weeks’ gestation. This has several important protective benefits:

• Decreases the mother’s chances of catching whooping cough, which can be more serious during pregnancy
• Antibodies (against whooping cough) from the mother’s bloodstream pass across the placenta into the baby’s bloodstream. These antibodies provide the baby with some protection against whooping cough, up until it receives its first routine pertussis vaccination at 6 – 8 weeks’ of age

If a vaccination isn’t given during pregnancy, one is recommended as soon as possible after birth, if it has been over ten years since you’ve has received a whooping cough vaccination.

Of note, any adults who will come into close contact with the baby in the first 6 – 8 weeks (eg. mother’s partner, baby’s grandparents) are strongly encouraged to seek out a whooping cough vaccination of their own, to provide additional ‘herd immunity’ protection to the newborn baby during the first two months of its life. This costs only $33 out-of-pocket.

Influenza

Influenza can be much more serious in pregnant women, than in the general population. Hence, pregnant women are strongly encouraged to have an influenza vaccination during every pregnancy, at any stage of pregnancy (especially if pregnant during autumn or winter, when influenza is most prevalent in the community).

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)

In adults, RSV tends to cause cold-like symptoms, such as a: runny nose, sore throat, headache, and a cough. Severe symptoms (such as pneumonia, and difficulty breathing) can also occur.

RSV is very contagious, and is a common cause of respiratory infections in babies and children: most cases are mild. However, in their first year of life babies are particularly prone to severe symptoms such as brochiolitis and pneumonia. Severe RSV infection is a common reason for babies to be hospitalised over the winter months.

Thankfully, an RSV vaccination has recently been developed. In early 2025, the Australian government started to subsidise and encourage all pregnant women and newborn babies to have this vaccination, to protect them from the most serious symptoms of RSV.

Pregnant women are encouraged to have ‘Abrysvo’ between 28 and 36 weeks’ gestation. Doing so reduces the risk of your baby having severe RSV disease in the first six months of its life by 70%.

If the mother didn’t have an RSV vaccination during pregnancy, or her baby was born within two weeks of her doing so, it’s recommended that her baby have the newborn version of the RSV vaccination, which is called ‘Nirsevimab’.

Topic area frequently asked questions (FAQs)

I didn’t have the Gardasil vaccination as a teenager. I’ve now been found to have HPV on my cervical screening test. Should I have a Gardasil vaccination now?

If you never had the HPV vaccination as a teenager, and you’re under 26yo, you can receive a free Gardasil-9 vaccination through your GP clinic. (If you’re 26yo or older, you’ll need to pay approximately $220 out-of-pocket.) While this won’t necessarily help to resolve your current HPV infection, it will protect you against getting another HPV infection in future; this will decrease your risk of developing cervical cancer in future.

How do I know whether I’m immune or susceptible to these infections?

If you’re wondering whether you’re immune or susceptible (not immune) to any of these infections, please see your GP. They can advise you as to whether a blood test is needed, and how the blood test results will guide future management.

Conclusion

Just as a ‘stitch in time saves nine’, it’s well worth having all of the recommended vaccinations (as outlined above), to optimise both your health, and that of any future babies you may have!

Of note, this blog post provides general guidance only.

Please see your GP, or a women’s health GP such as Maven Centre’s Dr Amy Sinclair-Thomson or Dr Phillippa Wootton, if you have any specific questions or exceptional circumstances regarding vaccination.