(ABC News) – Get those tissues ready. Flu season is on the way.
And as in years past, health officials predict that millions of Americans will suffer the consequences.
The defense? A simple flu shot.
Now a new CDC report suggesting that one group of people who needs this vaccine the most, isn’t getting it enough. Pregnant women.
Pregnant women and their newborns are more likely to have severe illness from influenza, due to weakened immune systems.
Health officials urge those who are pregnant to get a flu shot, since this one jab during pregnancy can protect both mom and baby.
Those antibodies get passed on to an unborn child.
The good news?
The CDC reports that this year, more pregnant women are getting their flu shots than in previous years.
But even so, barely four in ten pregnant women get the flu vaccine.
So if you’re pregnant, now is the time to give yourself the gift of that flu shot.
One more way to make sure this holiday season is a happy one.