childrenshealthdefense.org The long-promoted practice of requiring vaccinations for those visiting newborns — known as “cocooning” — is facing renewed criticism from physicians who argue it lacks strong scientific support and may pose a greater risk to infants. While even the CDC acknowledges its limitations, the American Academy of Pediatrics continues to promote the practice.
“Cocooning” — the practice of requiring family members and caregivers to get vaccinated before visiting a newborn — should be “left to the caterpillars,” according to Dr. Robert Malone.
Public health officials and vaccine advocates first introduced the practice in 2004 as a way to protect infants who are too young to be vaccinated, particularly against pertussis or whooping cough.
However, cocooning lacks scientific backing.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recognized for more than a decade that the practice doesn’t appear to work well. CDC researchers concluded in 2016 that cocooning “is costly, is plagued with implementation challenges, and has uncertain effectiveness.”
The CDC’s vaccine advisory panel reported in 2011 that it was “an insufficient strategy to prevent pertussis morbidity and mortality in newborn infants,” yet continued to recommend it.
Today, the CDC puts more emphasis on maternal vaccination. While the agency still recommends cocooning, it also notes that it may not be sufficient to protect infants.
However, the Academy of American Pediatrics (AAP) still pushes the practice, and even takes it further, recommending cocooning, not just for pertussis or whooping cough, but also for other illnesses, including flu and RSV.
The AAP also recommends that young children shouldn’t kiss babies and that families should continue the cocooning strategy even after infants get their own vaccinations.
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