Maternal Vaccination: An Intervention That Protects Two Lives

When?

• Tuesday, September 1, 2026
• 11.00 a.m. (Washington D.C.)
• Check the time in your time zone

Where?

Register here

Simultaneous interpretation into English, Spanish, and Portuguese

Introduction 

Getting vaccinated during pregnancy is a safe and effective way to protect the health of both the mother and the baby, and should be considered an essential part of prenatal care.

Maternal immunization protects pregnant women against potentially serious infections and, at the same time, confers passive immunity to the newborn. It has three main objectives: to protect the mother, who is more susceptible to complications from certain diseases; to protect the fetus from infections that can affect its development; and to protect the newborn, through the transfer of maternal antibodies across the placenta, providing immunity during the first months of life, when the baby is not yet able to receive all the vaccines

Despite these well-documented benefits, vaccination coverage during pregnancy remains suboptimal in many countries. Furthermore, inequities persist based on age, socioeconomic status, ethnic origin, and access to health services.

In Latin America and the Caribbean, available data show significant progress, although challenges remain in monitoring coverage rates and ensuring comparability across countries. Various studies indicate that a significant proportion of obstetricians, gynecologists, midwives, family physicians, and other professionals providing prenatal care do not systematically recommend the appropriate vaccines during pregnancy, or provide insufficient information to address patients’ concerns and questions.

Among the main barriers identified among health professionals are concerns about vaccine safety, a low perception of the risk posed by preventable diseases, a lack of up-to-date information on current recommendations, and insufficient access to communication tools to address the concerns of pregnant women. Consequently, strengthening the technical and communication skills of health care personnel is a priority strategy for increasing confidence in vaccines and improving maternal vaccination coverage.

In this context, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), in collaboration with strategic partners, is organizing this regional webinar to update the knowledge and strengthen the capacities of health care personnel involved in prenatal and newborn care by promoting the up-to-date implementation of regional and national recommendations on vaccination during pregnancy.

Overall Objective

To strengthen the technical capacities of health care workers who provide care to pregnant women in order to promote the routine recommendation of maternal vaccination, thereby helping to increase vaccination coverage and confidence in vaccines in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Specific Objectives

• Update health care workers’ knowledge of the scientific evidence regarding the safety, efficacy, and benefits of vaccination during pregnancy. 
• Present the regional situation regarding maternal vaccination, including progress, gaps, and challenges in improving coverage, registration systems, and monitoring. 
• Strengthen communication skills to address pregnant women’s questions and concerns about vaccines. 
• Share experiences and best practices implemented by countries to strengthen vaccination during pregnancy. 
• Promote collaboration between immunization programs and sexual, reproductive, maternal, and neonatal health services to improve the integration of vaccination into prenatal care.

Target audience

• Professionals in maternal and child health, obstetrics and gynecology, and primary care;
• Program managers for maternal and neonatal health and immunization programs;
• Officials and representatives from ministries of health;
• Representatives from civil society organizations and professional associations;
• International organizations, academia, and research institutions

Agenda