FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  Monday, August 10, 2015
CONTACT:  Tim Heath, (605) 773-3737  

                                             A Healthy Start: Pregnancy And Vaccines

PIERRE, S.D. – 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’ll last the first few months of life. The two vaccines that are routinely recommended for pregnant women are the pertussis or whooping cough vaccine (Tdap) and the flu vaccine.

To celebrate the importance of immunizations for people of all ages – and make sure pregnant women are protected with the vaccines they need – the South Dakota Department of Health 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 cough vaccine, or Tdap, during each pregnancy, you’ll pass some antibodies that will help protect your baby for the first months of life,” said Barbara Philips, nurse educator for the Department of Health immunization program. "That’s when babies are most vulnerable to the devastating complications associated with whooping cough. I encourage pregnant women to talk to their doctors about these important vaccines.”

For more information about the vaccines recommended during pregnancy, women are encouraged to talk with the doctor, check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at www.cdc.gov/vaccines or contact the Department of Health’s Immunization Program at 1-800-738-2301.

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