Study Shows Benefits Of Pertussis Vaccine During Pregnancy

Monday, October 26, 2015

Photo caption: A sign advertising whooping cough shots is displayed in a CVS parking lot, Au...

Photo credit: Mike Mozart\flickr

A sign advertising whooping cough shots is displayed in a CVS parking lot, Aug. 14, 2014.

Aired 10/26/15 on KPBS News

A new California Department of Public Health study finds infants are less likely to get severely ill from whooping cough if their mothers were vaccinated against the disease.

A new study from the California Department of Public Health shows some benefits of the pertussis, or TDAP, vaccine.

The study involved 690 babies less than two months of age who had pertussis, also known as whooping cough. Infants that young are at greatest risk of becoming severely ill from the disease.

Researchers found infants whose mothers received the pertussis vaccine during pregnancy were significantly less likely to be hospitalized or die from the illness.

As of Oct. 20, 4,211 cases of pertussis have been reported in California.

Doctors recommend that pregnant women get the pertussis vaccine during their third trimester.

FEATURED PODCAST

KPBS' daily news podcast covering local politics, education, health, environment, the border and more. New episodes are ready weekday mornings so you can listen on your morning commute.