Based on new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 65% of moms-to-be in the United States have not received vaccinations for the flu and whooping cough.

Pregnant women are a high-risk group, meaning their risk of hospitalization is greater than those who are not pregnant. Dr. Kristina Adams Waldorf, a UW Medicine obstetrician, explains that these vaccines protect both the mother and the fetus. This is important because newborns are vulnerable to viruses before they can begin to receive vaccinations.