Protect newborns from pertussis: immunize with Tdap today

Tdap vaccination is a covered benefit for all pregnant women who are Texas Children’s Health Plan members. Prenatal office visits are the best place for a member to receive this vaccine. It’s important to note that Texas Medicaid does not cover Tdap at the pharmacy. Tdap can be given at any time during pregnancy, but ideally it should be administered between 27 and 36 weeks to maximize maternal antibody response and passive transfer to newborn. CDC surveillance reports that 2-month-old infants have highest pertussis rate. Infants younger than two months accounted for 38.7% of all pertussis cases from 2000 to 2015, so providing Tdap for pregnant women is more important than ever. TCHP is now partnering with PedsPal (www.pedspal.org) and Vaxcare (www.vaxcare.com) to make it easier for providers to give Tdap to their patients. Email pharmacy@tchp.us to learn how you can work with these partners to improve vaccination in your practice.