Whooping Cough Vaccination Very Effective During Pregnancy, Study Confirms
The mothers pass pertussis antibodies on to their newborns, protecting them until they were old enough to get vaccinated.
KPCC:
Vaccinating For Pertussis During Pregnancy Protects Baby, Study Says
A large-scale study of tens of thousands of births appears to validate the federal government's recommendation that pregnant women get vaccinated to protect their unborn babies from pertussis, also known as whooping cough. (Plevin, 4/3)
In other public health news —
KPCC:
A Call For A Federal Push To Eliminate Hepatitis B, C
The federal government should spearhead an aggressive effort to eliminate hepatitis B and C by 2030, argues a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. (Plevin, 3/31)
The Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
Santa Rosa Dad Hates To Ask, But He Really Needs A Kidney
There are waiting lists for people like [Richard] Lazovick, who would gratefully accept a kidney from someone who died and whose family agrees to donate some or all of his or her organs. But Lazovick knows that many potential transplant recipients die or become too ill for the surgery before they rise to the top of the list.The National Kidney Foundation says 13 people die each day while waiting for a kidney from a deceased donor. The best Lazovick can figure, he may be in line for such a kidney for as long as about eight years.Rather than quietly wait, he’s asking for something superior: a kidney donated by a living person. (Smith, 4/2)