An advisory panel for the Center for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending that pregnant woman be immunized against pertussis during each pregnancy.
The hope is the move will stem a growing u-s outbreak of the illness.
Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is on track this year to have the most reported cases since 1959. More than 32,000 cases have been reported so far this year, including 16 deaths, most of which occurred in infants.
Health officials say giving a booster shot during pregnancy increases the chances that antibodies from the mother will be passed along to her baby.
That is until the baby can be immunized at two months.
