Panel: Pregnant women should get whooping cough shot

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October 24, 2012

Panel: Pregnant women should get whooping cough shot

By Mike Stobbe AP Medical Writer The Enid News and Eagle Wed Oct 24, 2012, 11:46 AM CDT

ATLANTA — Expert government advisers want every pregnant woman to get a whooping cough vaccination.

It’s only the second time a vaccine has been recommended during pregnancy. Flu shots are also recommended for pregnant women.

The aim of the whooping cough shot is to protect newborns, who are too young to get the vaccine.

The panel’s vote was a reaction to the resurgence in whooping cough. The nation is on track to have the worst year for whooping cough since the 1950s. There have been more than 32,000 cases, including 16 deaths, this year.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices approved the recommendation Wednesday. Federal health officials usually adopt the panel’s advice and send it to on to doctors and the public.

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