Rubella immunity / vaccine when TTC

[Thisisouryear2025]

My doctor called to say that I am not immune to rubella and that I need to have it done before I get pregnant. Anyone got any experience with either getting pregnant and not being immune or having the vaccine whilst trying? There doesn’t seem to be any evidence that it’s bad to be vaccinated whilst trying when you aren’t pregnant, so I take that as before ovulation?! But recommends against when actually pregnant. I don’t know what to do. Feel like I should wait out this TWW, then book the vaccine for first day of period so I have two weeks ish before ovulation? I don’t want to skip a month of TTC based on my age and AMH and that there is zero reported cases of the vaccine causing any issues before conception. Thoughts / experiences please

Yeah I'd go with your plan of hitting the first day of your period if possible. I wouldn't want to be pregnant and not vaccinated/immune.

Sorry to break it to you but when I was trying to conceive many years ago I was told the same about not being immune, I thought Okay I can cope with one month off trying but it’s was actually 2 doses needed a month apart I think we had to put of ttc for 2-3 months xx

Thanks ladies. I just don’t know if I want to get it or not. Not sure the risk is high enough to warrant putting it in my body right now and I do have a low AMH, 2-3 months is a long time out of trying. I’m not against vaccines completely but I honestly don’t know if it’s sitting right with me. Il ask about the doses to make sure of that now days xx

I recently went through exactly the same. Had both doses and now have immunity, I didn’t stop TTC.

This link] should reassure you.

Personally I wouldn’t hesitate to get the jab(s) even if I was already pregnant.

Thanks ladies! @SarahFlower Did you conceive in the months you were having it? Didn’t doctor advise waiting to resume TTC until after you had got both doses? X

The main risk is of your baby contracting congenital rubella. The waiting time will be to ensure you’re immune. There is no evidence of MMR in pregnancy causing congenital rubella, but there is plenty of evidence of natural infection causing birth defects.

Hi, no nobody told me to wait but now I’m reading that I should of 😬 I finished my doses in April and conceived last month but it ended in a chemical unfortunately

@SarahFlower There is a fair bit of evidence to support it actually doesn’t matter about waiting, it’s more about immunity rather than it causing issues. There are zero evidence or cases on the vaccine harming an unborn foetus or harming chances of conception. I just don’t have the time to wait 3 months tbh, I have a lower egg reserve. The consequences of not having the vaccine could apparently be horrific for an unborn baby however the risk of actually contracting the virus is stupidly low that I am not convinced it’s actually necessary

@SarahFlower In fact it is so mixed in terms of the risks for TTC too soon after, some articles state there are no risks and other say it can interfere with early pregnancy. On the basis there have been no cases of rubella affecting a pregnant woman since 1996 and worldwide there are only 26,000 people per year mainly in Asia, Africa and Middle East to be reported to have rubella which equates to 0.000003% of the worlds population getting it I feel like based on my 36 years on earth and not having the virus and the risks being so low, I am not sure that it is what I want to do now. It’s so hard to decide

Have you had the MMR before? They used to (10 years ago) test during pregnancy for rubella immunity and give you the vaccine as soon as your baby was born if not immune. Although I had had the MMR as a teen my test came back "No immunity" so I had it immediately my baby was born.
2 years later when pregnant with my 2nd, the test again came back "no immunity" despite having had the MMR vaccine 2 years previously.
Apparently with rubella immunity there are some people who the vaccine doesn't work for.
I understood they don't even now test for rubella immunity in pregnancy? What caused you to get tested?

I had it as I child, have immunity to mumps and measles but not Rubella. I was getting referred to fertility and that was one of the requirements for the referral.

@Joynajoy8 @SarahFlower So I have been TTC for 5 months now, I am 1dpo 6th cycle, I decided based on my age to go get my bloods done and the basic fertility tests for both me and my partner. All came back good except that I don’t have rubella immunity. I was vaccinated as a child for measles mumps and rubella however I am showing as having no immunity. I think the GP asked me to get the vaccine because I’ve asked her to refer us to a fertility clinic based on my low AMH and the wait lists to actually be seen, I think it’s a requirement of NHS funded IVF. Which we may never need or even qualify for at the point of needing it due to my AMH and the government threshold. I just don’t know that I want it. I am worried that I have it, it delays conception or causes early miscarriage and what if I am like you @Joynajoy8 and I am just a non responder to the vaccine. It will be pointless anyway.

When I got referred to fertility I was worried about the wait times. Was referred on Friday and had my first appointment the following Thursday. So the wait might not be that long

@SarahFlower That’s good to know thank you! I don’t suppose you mind sharing with me your age and how long you’ve been TTC for?