During pregnancy, you are often thinking about baby names, nursery colors, and prenatal vitamins, but you should also be thinking about vaccines. Vaccines during pregnancy not only protect you against diseases, but you can also begin to pass some protection to your baby that will last the first few months of life. The two vaccines that are routinely recommended by doctors and midwives during your pregnancy are the pertussis or whooping cough vaccine (Tdap) and the flu shot.
To celebrate the importance of immunizations for a healthy start and throughout our lives - and to make sure everyone is protected with all the vaccines they need - the Cleveland County Public Health Center is joining with partners nationwide in recognizing August as National Immunization Awareness Month.
Getting a flu shot is the best way to protect a pregnant woman from the flu and prevent serious flu-related problems, such as premature labor and delivery. And when you get a whooping vaccine, or Tdap, during each pregnancy, you'll pass some antibodies that will help protect your baby for the first months of life. That's when babies are most vulnerable to the devastating complications associated with whooping cough. Pregnant women should talk to their ob-gyns or midwives about these important vaccines.
You can find out more about the vaccines recommended during pregnancy at www.cdc.gov/vaccines or by talking to your doctor or midwife, or by calling the Cleveland County Public Health Center Immunization Clinic at 980-484-5001.
Submitted by DeShay Oliver