Low Rates of Vaccination During Pregnancy Leave Moms, Babies Unprotected
Every year, too many U.S. babies or their mothers get vaccine-preventable diseases
A recent study showed that getting a flu shot reduces a pregnant woman’s risk of being hospitalized due to influenza by an average of 40%. Influenza is also dangerous for babies, especially those younger than 6 months, who are too young to get a flu shot. Babies under 6 months have the highest incidence of influenza-associated hospitalizations and highest risk of influenza-related death among children. Flu vaccination in pregnant women reduces the risk of hospitalization due to influenza in their infants younger than 6 months old by an average of 72%.
Whooping cough can be deadly for babies, especially before they can start getting the childhood whooping cough vaccine at 2 months old. Two thirds (67%) of babies younger than 2 months old who get whooping cough need care in the hospital. Sadly, 7 out of 10 whooping cough deaths (69%) occur in this age group.
By getting Tdap vaccine during the third trimester of pregnancy, mothers build high levels of antibodies that transfer to the fetus and continue to protect the baby after birth, preventing more than 3 in 4 cases (78%) of whooping cough in babies under 2 months old. Tdap vaccination during pregnancy is even more effective at preventing hospitalization due to whooping cough in newborns.
Amanda Cohn, M.D., Chief Medical Officer
“Obstetricians and midwives are on the front line of care for expectant mothers and are the most trusted source of vaccine information for their pregnant patients. We encourage them to start discussing the importance of maternal vaccination early in pregnancy, and continue vaccination discussions with their patients throughout pregnancy,” said Amanda Cohn, M.D., chief medical officer in CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.”
To read more about the Burden and Prevention of Influenza and Pertussis Disease Among U.S. Pregnant Women and Infants and the entire Vital Signs report, visit: www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns.
About Vital Signs
Vital Signs is a report that appears as part of the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Vital Signs provides the latest data and information on key health indicators.
Read the original news at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)