Immunizations for Pregnant Women: How Mobile Programs Raise Coverage

Vaccines in pregnancy protect two patients at once: the pregnant person and the newborn who cannot yet be vaccinated. Tdap, influenza, RSV, and COVID-19 vaccines are recommended in pregnancy, yet coverage is well below where it should be. Mobile programs can improve uptake it by bringing vaccination into routine prenatal visits and community sites, paired with the provider recommendation that most influences whether a patient accepts. This post covers which vaccines matter in pregnancy, why uptake lags, and how a mobile model helps.

The coverage gap is clear in the data. In the 2022-23 season, about 47.2% of pregnant people received influenza vaccination before or during pregnancy and about 55.4% received Tdap, both short of protective goals (see CDC vaccination coverage data).

Why does vaccine coverage in pregnancy lag?

A combination of access and hesitancy. Coverage sits below target for both flu and Tdap, and hesitancy is common: in the CDC data, many pregnant people reported hesitancy about flu (around 60%) and Tdap (around 43%) vaccination (see CDC). Concerns about safety, mixed information, and simple lack of a convenient opportunity all contribute.

The strongest counterweight is a clinician's recommendation. Pregnant people who receive a provider recommendation are markedly less hesitant and more likely to be vaccinated. That points to the fix: put the vaccine and the trusted recommendation in the same visit, in a place the patient can reach.

How can a mobile program raise maternal immunization rates?

By making vaccination convenient and pairing it with the recommendation that moves people. A mobile maternal program can:

• Offer Tdap, flu, RSV, and COVID-19 vaccination as a routine part of prenatal visits, so no separate trip is needed.
• Have the clinician the patient trusts recommend the vaccine directly, in the same contact.
• Reach community sites where pregnant people already are, closing the convenience gap.
• Catch missed immunizations at postpartum and family visits.

The mechanism is removing friction and adding trust at the same moment. When the vaccine is available where the patient already is, and the clinician they know recommends it, both the access barrier and the hesitancy barrier drop together. That combination is hard to replicate through referral to a separate pharmacy or clinic.

How does maternal immunization connect to the rest of the program?

It folds into every stage. Preconception is the moment to update routine immunizations before pregnancy; prenatal visits are when Tdap, flu, and RSV are given on schedule; postpartum and family visits are a chance to catch anything missed and to immunize other household members. A mobile program that sees the patient across these stages can manage immunization as a continuous thread rather than a one-time task.

Because vaccines protect the infant too, immunization also links maternal care to family-centered care: the same visit that protects the pregnant patient sets up the newborn's protection and can address the immunization status of siblings. That two-generation reach strengthens the case for building vaccination into a mobile maternal program.

Frequently asked questions

Which vaccines are recommended in pregnancy?

Tdap in every pregnancy, influenza during flu season, the maternal RSV vaccine to protect infants, and COVID-19 vaccination. They protect the pregnant person and pass antibodies to the newborn before birth.

Why is vaccine coverage low among pregnant people?

Coverage sits below target, with 2022-23 rates around 47% for flu and 55% for Tdap, driven by access barriers and hesitancy. Many pregnant people report hesitancy about flu and Tdap, though a provider recommendation strongly reduces it.

Can a mobile clinic give vaccines during pregnancy?

Yes. A mobile maternal program can offer Tdap, flu, RSV, and COVID-19 vaccination during prenatal visits at community sites, paired with the clinician recommendation that most influences uptake.

Why does maternal vaccination protect the baby?

Newborns cannot receive most vaccines at birth, so maternal vaccination passes protective antibodies before delivery. Tdap and RSV vaccination in pregnancy specifically guard the infant in their most vulnerable first months.

If immunization coverage is a gap in your maternal program, talk with our team. We build mobile programs that make vaccination routine and convenient across the maternal timeline.