Bill > S1212

This bill amends Chapter 111 of the General Laws by adding a new section that requires hospitals to provide educational information to parents of newborns about Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, and the vaccine available to prevent it. This information must be given to parents before their newborn is discharged from the hospital and should include details about the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) recommendation for parents to receive the Tdap vaccine (which protects against tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis) during the postpartum period to safeguard their infants from contracting the disease. The bill clarifies that hospitals are not obligated to provide or pay for any Pertussis vaccinations themselves.