Vaccinating Family Members Offers Important Flu Protection to Newborns

Vaccinating new mothers and other family members against influenza before their newborns leave the hospital creates a "cocooning effect" that may shelter unprotected children from the flu, a virus that can be life-threatening to infants, according to researchers at Duke Children's Hospital. The hospital-based outreach tested in this study proved effective at boosting immunization rates in parents -- especially new fathers -- and siblings who otherwise may not be vaccinated.