1. a. The Commissioner of Health shall prepare and make available to each hospital and birthing facility in the State informational literature on the pertussis vaccine for adults, including, but not limited to, information on the risks of pertussis, the morbidity and mortality rates among infants suffering from pertussis, the availability and efficacy of the tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis booster vaccine, and the benefits of inoculating pregnant women, a new mother, and other adult family members with the booster vaccine, prior to an infant’s birth or the mother’s discharge from a hospital or birthing facility, as applicable, to prevent the transmission of pertussis to the infant. The commissioner may make the informational literature available to hospitals and birthing facilities by posting it on the Department of Health’s Internet website or by other electronic means.

b. The department shall require each hospital and birthing facility in the State to provide new mothers, including adoptive mothers, with the informational literature specified in subsection a. of this section. The informational literature shall be distributed to the mother and any other adult family member, including adult adoptive family members, present at the infant’s birth, by the staff designated by the hospital or birthing facility, prior to the mother’s discharge, as part of the hospital or birthing facility’s discharge procedures.

c. As used in this section “birthing facility” means an inpatient or ambulatory health care facility licensed by the Department of Health that provides birthing and newborn care services.

L.2013, c.275, s.1.