SB294 Summary

• Hospitals must provide parents with educational information on pertussis disease before discharging a newborn child during the postpartum period.

• The required information must include that pertussis (whooping cough) can cause serious or life-threatening illness, especially in infants, and that vaccination is the most effective prevention method per the CDC.

• The information must direct parents to contact their physician, county health department, or the Alabama Department of Public Health for vaccination details.

• Hospitals are not required to provide or pay for any pertussis vaccinations under this requirement.

• Physicians and hospitals have no legal liability or responsibility for claims resulting from providing or failing to provide the required pertussis information.