A new schedule for immunizations was released last month. The new schedule is five pages long but aims to be simpler to understand. A major change is regarding a new recommendation for pregnant women.
The former schedule had infants getting their first round of immunizations at 2-months-old. Only the Hepatitis B vaccine was administered earlier, soon after birth. That left newborn infants, who are already at a higher risk for pertussis, unprotected. Pertussis is more commonly known as whooping cough.
The CDC recommends that pregnant women get the vaccination after the 20th week of gestation, and states that there is no reason this should affect breastfeeding.
Other changes include a new catch up schedule for children who get behind, and more in-depth recommendations on safe vaccinations for children with medical and other high-risk conditions.
For more information read these articles by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
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