Guidance

Inadvertent vaccination in pregnancy (VIP)

Advice for health professionals on pregnant women who are inadvertently vaccinated against chicken pox (varicella), shingles or measles, mumps, rubella.

From:
UK Health Security Agency
Published
1 May 2010
Last updated
20 January 2025 — See all updates

It is important that anyone who has been vaccinated with these vaccines during pregnancy can be immediately reassured that no known risk associated with giving these during pregnancy.

Please note that the live shingles vaccine (Zostavax®) is no longer available in the UK.

The Immunisation and Vaccine Preventable Diseases Division at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA, formerly Public Health England (PHE)) follows up women who have inadvertently been given certain vaccines in pregnancy (VIP) across the UK. These women would therefore not have been aware they were pregnant at the time of vaccination.

Through VIP surveillance we aim to analyse the details submitted by GPs and surgeries to better inform:

  • pregnant women who are immunised
  • their families
  • health professionals who are responsible for their care

Notify UKHSA

If you or your patient have had measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), chicken pox or shingles vaccine inadvertently administered during pregnancy or shortly before conception, notify UKHSA, which runs UK-wide surveillance on the safety of vaccines given in pregnancy.

Please notify UKHSA by either:

completing the Notification form for vaccines administered in pregnancy (VIP) (MS Word Document, 63.9 KB) to return by email or post

or

completing the notification form for vaccines administered in pregnancy online.

UKHSA tracks women who are inadvertently immunised whilst pregnant or shortly before pregnancy, with the following vaccines:

  • measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine given from 30 days before last menstrual period to anytime during pregnancy
  • chickenpox or shingles vaccine given from 90 days before last menstrual period to anytime during pregnancy

If you are pregnant, meet the above criteria and would like to report your vaccination details, you can do so by submitting a completed notification form. Follow-up will normally be undertaken with the GP practice that you are registered with

Vaccination during pregnancy

There are no known risks for women who are vaccinated against measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox or shingles during any stage of pregnancy or shortly before conception. More detailed information can be found for each vaccine:

Whilst consent does not need to be obtained, it is recommended that details of this surveillance are discussed with the patient by any health professional reporting a case in one of their patients.

The Health Service Regulation 2002 stipulates that confidential patient information may be processed with a view to monitor and manage the delivery, efficacy and safety of immunisation campaigns.

The regulation states that the processing of confidential patient information for the purposes specified above may be undertaken by the Public Health Laboratory Service, since superseded by the Health Protection Agency, PHE and subsequently UKHSA.

Additional information sources

The UK teratology information service (UKtis) publishes information on the toxicity of drugs and chemicals in pregnancy.

The Electronic Medicines Compendium (EMC) publishes summaries of product characteristics (SPCs) and patient information leaflets (PILs).

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) produces guidance and information on COVID-19.

For any questions, contact Dr Helen Campbell at UKHSA on 0208 327 7150.

Infectious diseases during pregnancy

The infectious diseases during pregnancy: screening, vaccination and treatment guidance gives an overview of risks to pregnant women from infections. It provides information on current screening, vaccination, treatment and prevention programmes.

Updates to this page

Published 1 May 2010
Last updated 20 January 2025 + show all updates

  1. Updated information on VIP surveillance and notification form.

  2. Updated information on VIP surveillance and notification form.

  3. Added link to the online notification form.

  4. Updated vaccination in pregnancy (VIP) notification form.

  5. Added link to Yellow Card Vaccine Monitor and updated VIP notification form.

  6. Updated information on the Vaccination in Pregnancy programme.

  7. Updated Vaccination in pregnancy (VIP) notification form.

  8. Updated Vaccination in pregnancy (VIP) notification form.

  9. Updated VIP notification form and added COVID-19 vaccine information.

  10. Added revised notification form: new email address to return form.

  11. ‘Notification form for vaccines administered in pregnancy (VIP)’ updated to collect specific information on pregnant women who received shingles vaccine in error.

  12. Added guidance regarding vaccination for shingles.

  13. First published.

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