When a baby is on the way, doctors often recommend that the mother get certain vaccinations to protect her newborn – and it turns out that other family members who may visit the infant, especially grandparents, are urged to be up to date on certain shots, too.
With the United States in the midst of respiratory virus season and its worst measles outbreak in decades, immunized family members can play an important role in protecting newborns who are too young to receive many of their own vaccines. Babies remain especially vulnerable during their first weeks of life, relying largely on antibodies passed from their mother and the immunity of those around them.
