Study confirms vaccination during pregnancy protects newborn babies

A study of flu vaccination in 340 pregnant women has confirmed that immunity is passed "passively" to the newborn baby, providing protection lasting several weeks. This protection is important because newborn babies are vulnerable to flu infection, but cannot be vaccinated "actively" themselves until they reach the age of six months. The study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine and showed that the immunity of the newborn baby closely mirrored the immunity of the mother, confirming that vaccination of mothers before or during pregnancy is a sensible way of providing newborns with protection from flu viruses.