US panel recommends vaccinating pregnant women to protect infants from whooping cough

A United States federal advisory panel is recommending that pregnant women get vaccinated against whooping cough. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted to recommend the shot for pregnant women who previously were not vaccinated. The vaccine, which does not use live bacteria, would be given in the third trimester or late second trimester. Children get whooping cough vaccine in a series of shots beginning at two months. Most infant deaths and hospitalizations now occur in the first two months of life and some research has found that vaccinating a pregnant woman will allow her to pass some immunity to her child.