New vaccine schedule for kids

The American Academy of Pediatrics is releasing a new vaccine schedule.

There are a couple of changes this year, including a new approach to vaccinating for pertussis, or whooping cough, as it is more commonly known.

"The one major change in the vaccine schedule is that there is now a recommendation that all women with their pregnancies get a whooping cough vaccine. It's a combination whooping cough, diphtheria, and tetanus vaccine with every single pregnancy. Ideally around 27 to 36 weeks gestation,” says Dr. Mike Macknin with Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital.   

Because infants are most at-risk of contracting whooping cough, before they can be immunized themselves, they are better protected if the mother receives the vaccine during each pregnancy.

There are also a couple of minor changes to the schedule for vaccines for meningitis and pneumonia.

You should talk to your pediatrician if you have any questions about the new immunization schedule, which can be found in the journal "pediatrics."