Needles and wins: Mums urged to vaccinate

Pregnant women are being urged to vaccinate against the flu and whooping cough to protect themselves and their baby.

Health Minister Kim Hames today launched a campaign aimed at encouraging mums to have vaccinations for both infections during their third trimester.

“The great thing about both the flu and the whooping cough vaccines is that as well as protecting mum, they protect the baby against these infections in the first few months of life,” Dr Hames said.

“Last year, around 40 per cent of pregnant women were vaccinated against the flu and the aim of this campaign is to bring that number up to 75 per cent.

“It’s also the first time that whooping cough vaccinations have been offered free to pregnant women and I would encourage those who qualify for the free vaccine to take advantage of this opportunity.”

The Minister said the flu season had been particularly harsh in the northern hemisphere this year, with a number of deaths and high hospitalisation rates in the United States and Europe.

“This year’s flu vaccine has been delayed in production to ensure that it effectively targets those strains which present most risk,” he said.

The seasonal influenza vaccination, funded under the National Immunisation Program, is also highly recommended for those aged 65 years and older and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders aged six months to less than five years, or 15 years and older.

WA Health also funds flu vaccinations for all children aged six months to five years of age.