General information, not an individual diagnosis. Ask a healthcare professional if you are unsure about your situation.
After flu vaccination during pregnancy, the mother produces antibodies directed against the relevant influenza viruses. The cited official vaccine document calls this active immunisation: the vaccinated person produces the antibodies.
The same document explains that maternal neutralising antibodies pass to the baby through the placenta. This transfer during pregnancy can contribute to protection after birth; it is not an injection given to the infant.
The baby’s protection is called passive because the baby receives antibodies already made by the mother. ‘Active immunisation’ and ‘passive protection’ therefore describe two different situations, even when both result from the same maternal vaccination.
Assurance Maladie describes protection during the baby’s first months. The product information specifies that protection may decrease over time after birth and that not every infant is protected. This possibility must not be turned into an individual guarantee lasting until a precise date.
This protection concerns flu and depends in particular on the strains the infant encounters in relation to those in the maternal vaccine. It is not general protection against every infection a baby may develop.
During pregnancy follow-up and then the baby’s care, ask the professional to distinguish protection from maternal antibodies from the child’s own vaccinations. Passive protection does not let you set the child’s schedule yourself or dispense with medical advice if the baby is ill.
Sources
Vaccination
Flu and Covid-19: the 2026–2027 campaign
The national flu and Covid-19 vaccination campaign starts on 13 October 2026. In Doctolib, choose “Vaccination antigrippale (Grippe)” or “Vaccination COVID-19” for the vaccination you want to discuss.
Bring your carte Vitale and, for flu, your coverage voucher if you have one. The professional checks the recommendations and coverage conditions that apply to you.
The pharmacy checks whether vaccination and coverage apply based on the vaccine, your age and your circumstances.
Assurance Maladie — Campagne grippe 2026–2027 (9 octobre 2026) · Assurance Maladie — Campagne Covid-19 (30 septembre 2026) · Assurance Maladie — Vaccination par le pharmacien · Assurance Maladie — Prise en charge des vaccins · Ministère de la Santé — Calendrier vaccinal
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