Babies from Birth to Age 2
Vaccines give parents the safe, proven power to protect their children from 14 serious diseases before they turn 2 years old. Every dose of vaccine is important to protect against infectious diseases like the flu, measles and whooping cough (pertussis) that can be life threatening for newborns and young babies. You can provide the best protection by following the recommended immunization schedule – giving your baby every vaccine he/she needs, when he/she needs it – and by making sure those who will be around your baby are vaccinated, too.
Pregnancy is a great time to plan for your baby’s immunizations – and to make sure you have the vaccines you need to protect yourself and pass protection from some diseases to your baby during the first few months of life. In addition to the vaccines recommended for adults, pregnant women need to have a flu shot every year, and the Tdap vaccine during every pregnancy to protect against whooping cough.
Whooping cough is a highly contagious respiratory disease that is often thought of as a disease of the past. While we no longer see the number of cases we did before the vaccine was available, it is a growing health concern. The U.S. experienced a nearly 60-year record high number of cases in 2012, with more than 48,000 reported cases and 20 deaths.
Information provided by the National Public Health Information Coalition (NPHIC).