Bremo Pharmacy loves taking care of expecting mothers, new moms, and babies by providing breast pumps, and compounded medications. Included in these services is immunizations for expecting moms. The Tdap (tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis) immunization is incredibly important for new moms and babies and can protect your baby.
Whooping cough (also known as pertussis) is a severe infection that can cause difficulty breathing and severe coughing spells. Babies are still trying to develop a strong immune system for the first six months of their life, which puts them at a much higher risk for developing whooping cough. Additionally, newborns and infants are at risk for the most severe forms of pertussis, which can lead to life-threatening complications, including inability to breath, brain disease, and death. Approximately, 10,000 to 50,000 cases of whooping cough are reported in babies each year in the United States. Fifty percent of babies who contract whooping cough are hospitalized. Of those babies requiring hospitalization, 1 out of 4 will get pneumonia, and 1 or 2 out of 100 will die.
Although whooping cough can be deadly to infants, there is an easy way to prevent babies from contracting this: immunizations. Expecting mothers should receive an immunization, called Tdap, in order to protect their infant. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that all moms should receive this immunization for every pregnancy between 27 and 3
6 weeks, preferably during the earlier part of this time frame. By getting the Tdap immunization while pregnant, mothers are able to provide antibodies (protective proteins that allow the baby to be protected) to the baby in the last few weeks of your pregnancy.
Since babies do not have a fully developed immune system to fight off infection, they rely on their parents, siblings, grandparents, and any other close contacts to be immunized. If these close contacts are up-to-date on all of their vaccines, babies are then protected from diseases around them. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends that anyone who will be in close contact with the newborn baby should be up to date on their Tdap immunization and influenza immunization. Relatives should receive their Tdap immunization once in adulthood and their influenza immunization every fall during flu season.
At Bremo Pharmacy, we are able to provide and administer the Tdap immunization to you and your family members (over the age of 18) whenever you need it. All you need to do is arrive at our pharmacy and provide us with your prescription insurance card. Additionally, Bremo Pharmacy offers a variety of services for new moms, such as breast pumps and compression hose. To learn more about breast pumps and other ways to protect your baby, visit “Breast Pumps & Important Supplies” and “Medications & Breastfeeding”.
Interested in learning more? Call us at 804-288-8361 to find out more about how you can protect your baby today!
Sources:
- https://www.cdc.gov/pertussis/pregnant/mom/deadly-disease-for-baby.html
- https://www.cdc.gov/pertussis/pregnant/mom/get-vaccinated.html
- https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pregnancy/family-caregivers/index.html
