Getting the flu shot while pregnant is the best way to protect your newbown, finds a study in the December 15 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases.
Currently, there is no vaccination approved for infants under six months, but researchers at the Yale School of Medicine suggest that expectant mothers can extend protection to their babies simply by getting the vaccine while pregnant.
The researchers looked at two groups of infants, comparing those who were hospitalized for influenza against those who were not. "In the group of infants studied, giving the vaccine to a woman during pregnancy was 91.5 percent effective in preventing hospitalization due to influenza," said Dr. Marietta Vazquez, the senior author of the study.
As there is no vaccine available to infants under six months, previously only preventative measures were recommended, such as vaccinating all individuals who would come in contact with the newborn, in order to limit the risk of spreading the virus.