Travel-related Illnesses and Vaccines

Preparing to hit the road, cruise, or fly the friendly skies when you’re pregnant or breastfeeding

Disclaimer: This page houses important information and resources pertaining to travel-related illnesses and vaccines during pregnancy and while breastfeeding, including links to our evidence-based Fact Sheets. However, the resources here should not replace the care and advice of a medical professional.

Maybe you and your significant other are planning a baby moon or a family vacation. Or maybe work is sending you to far-flung regions for a meeting. Regardless of the reason for your upcoming travel, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, there are certain travel-related illness that you need to be aware of – and in some cases, there are certain immunizations that you should discuss with your healthcare provider before you head out of town.

“Pregnant travelers can generally travel safely with appropriate preparation. But they should avoid some destinations, including those with risk of Zika and malaria.”

— Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Travel-related illnesses can vary widely depending on where you’re headed. Higher elevations may cause altitude sickness. Contaminated food or drink may cause traveler’s diarrhea, or even more serious food-borne illness. Insect bites in various parts of the world could expose you to things like malaria, Zika virus, dengue, Lyme disease, chikungunya, or oropouche virus. And don’t forget all of the infectious diseases you can be exposed to as you encounter others throughout your travel, such as seasonal influenza, the common cold, and the ever-present Covid-19, as well as newer viral outbreaks like Mpox and the Marburg virus.

So what’s a pregnant or breastfeeding traveler to do? The best advice we can give you is to talk to your healthcare provider about where you’re going. They’ll be able to look up any travel-related health alerts for your destination and, based on the time of the year that you’ll be traveling and your medical history, they can advise you on the best ways to keep you and your baby safe. Give them as much advance notice as you can; they may recommend one or more immunizations to prevent certain illnesses, and you’ll want to make sure there is adequate time before you travel to receive all doses of the vaccine and for the vaccine and for the vaccine to become maximally effective.

Reference: American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists 

If you’re breastfeeding, your healthcare provider and your baby’s pediatrician can also advise you on how to safely breastfeed while traveling. If you’re going to be traveling without your baby and need to think about how to pump, store, and transport your milk, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has some great tips.

Our experts are always available to answer questions you may have about specific travel-related exposures and how they could affect you pregnancy or your breastfed baby. You can also visit our library of resources below.

External Resources

• American Academy of Pediatrics: Vaccines During Pregnancy: Keeping You & Your Baby Healthy
• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists: Travel During Pregnancy
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Food and Drink Considerations when Travelling
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Pregnancy and Vaccination
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Pregnant Travelers
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Travel Recommendations for Nursing Families
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Travel Vaccines
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Traveler’s Diarrhea
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Traveler’s Health
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Vaccination Safety for Breastfeeding Mothers
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Your Survival Guide to Safe and Healthy Travel
• Transportation Security Administration: Breast Milk
• U.S. Department of Agriculture, WIC Breastfeeding Support: Traveling with Your Baby
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Vaccines for Pregnant People

Partners

• American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology
• Patient Education Genius
• Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine
• Society for Birth Defects Research & Prevention