AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Pertussis or "whooping cough" is a dangerous disease for newborns who are too young to be immunized against it. Since widespread use of the pertussis vaccine, the number of cases of pertussis has markedly declined. However, recently, the number of incidents has started to rise. Therefore, increasing education and awareness on this issue is necessary in order to prevent vulnerable children from contracting this possibly fatal disease.
Currently, the mother and father of newborn children are provided with information on a variety of subjects such as shaken baby syndrome and a list of diseases that the child must be immunized for. However, information on pertussis is not distributed.
This bill requires a pamphlet of information written in both English and Spanish on the pertussis disease, the availability of the vaccine, and the recommendation of the Centers for Disease Control that parents receive Tdap during the post-partum period to protect their newborn. This pamphlet must be distributed by a hospital, birthing center, physician, nurse midwife, or midwife who provides prenatal care to a woman during pregnancy or birth.
H.B. 3336 amends current law relating to information regarding pertussis for parents of newborn children.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 161.501(a), Health and Safety Code, to require a hospital, birthing center, physician, nurse midwife, or midwife who provides prenatal care to a pregnant woman during gestation or at delivery of an infant to, among other actions, provide the woman and the father of the infant, if possible, or another adult caregiver for the infant, with a resource pamphlet that includes, among other information, educational information in both English and Spanish on pertussis disease and the availability of a vaccine to protect against pertussis, including information on the Centers for Disease Control recommendation that parents received Tdap during the post-partum period to protect newborns from the transmission of pertussis.
SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2011.