Are you pregnant or planning to become pregnant? A new study shows that pregnant women should get the tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis vaccine (Tdap) during their pregnancy. According to research, the shot is very effective in protecting newborns against whooping cough during the first two months of their life. Infants can not receive the vaccination themselves until they’re at least 2 months old, therefore they are not protected from birth.
148,981 babies born to mothers in a large health maintenance organization in the state of California were watched from 2010 and 2015 until the baby reached the age of 1. One-quarter of these mothers were not vaccinated when their babies were born. There were 103 cases of whooping cough in infants that were reported, 80 of these cases were in babies of mothers that were not vaccinated during their pregnancy.
The CDC believes that the vaccination is more than 90 percent effective in protecting infants and recommends that all pregnant women receive the shot. In 2015, less than half of the pregnant women had received the vaccination.
Whooping cough is a deadly disease, and Tdap protects your baby. The senior author of the study believes that every woman should receive Tdap during their pregnancy.
Here at Thurswell Law, we represent families of babies that have suffered the unfortunate event of a birth injury, cerebral palsy, mental retardation, seizures, or birth defect. If you believe that your family has been unfairly treated and has suffered from any form of birth complication or injury contact Thurswell Law today at (248) 354-2222. No fee unless you recover.
Source: The New York Times
