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The BLK+Cross and Alive & In Color are excited to announce a renewed focus on advancing health equity for children and families of color. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many families had to miss regular health screenings, including important prenatal and infant check-ups. Missing these primary care visits means many expecting mothers and infants may not be up to date on recommended immunizations. This could put expecting mothers, their babies, and our communities at risk from potentially serious disease.
At the same time, many parents and caregivers face barriers to accessing vaccinations – like time, transportation, and paid leave – additionally communities of color are disproportionately targeted with disinformation leaving parents with questions about vaccines that may keep them from scheduling an appointment. Common questions include the general safety of vaccines, short- and long-term effects, impact on fertility and pregnancy, and who to trust to provide accurate information.
To help close the gap and address frequently asked questions, we partnered with the Morehouse School of Medicine Prevention Research Center and Georgia CEAL RESTORES to launch Best Start for Baby + Mom—an educational campaign to help inform expecting mothers, parents, caregivers, and trusted messengers with essential information about the importance of keeping themselves and their babies up to date on all CDC-recommended vaccines. Best Start for Baby and Mom resources help parents and caregivers learn more about routine vaccines and where to find free and low-cost vaccines near them.
A secondary aim of the campaign will be to continue to raise awareness around generational whole-health as generational wealth, and to expand the notion of “Well Babies” to include “Well Moms”. After all, the best start for Baby, includes a healthy Mom.
The Best Start for Baby and Mom bilingual campaign includes information about recommended vaccines during pregnancy, routine vaccines for children under the age of 2, what to expect during well-baby visits, free educational resources, an immunization locator tool, plus community event details.
By partnering with trusted local community-based organizations, healthcare providers, and experts, we aim to help bridge the gap in maternal and infant health literacy and care in socially vulnerable communities of color.
If you’re interested in supporting this vital work through partnership, distributing materials, or co-hosting events, we’d love to connect. Reach out at info@beststart4babyandmom.com. Together, we can assure every child inherits their due right to generational health!
Enter the chat, use #BS4BM #BestStart #BestStartForBabyandMom on social media.
Prenatal and infant immunizations are available on a walk-in basis to Fulton/DeKalb County residents at six of the Fulton/DeKalb County Board of Health locations. Click the link to the right to find the nearest health center to you.
Parents and caregivers should know that vaccines for babies are essential to protect against serious diseases and they are:
For more locations click here: https://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov/.
Note: There is no cost for the vaccines given by Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program providers to eligible children. While some providers may charge an administration fee for the vaccine, if a parent or guardian cannot afford the fee (per vaccine), this fee must be removed so that they are not charged. A VFC Program provider cannot refuse vaccination for a VFC Program-eligible child due to the parent’s or guardian’s inability to pay for vaccine administration.
The following links are trusted sources for more information about recommended immunizations and vaccine resources for families.
Maternal vaccines are covered at no cost through Medicaid and for individuals under the age of 19 through the Vaccines for Children program. Most private insurance plans are also required to cover all vaccines recommended during pregnancy. If you are uninsured, you may qualify for Medicaid coverage, which will cover prenatal care including recommended vaccines. Visit medicaid.georgia.gov to learn more, or visit these resources:
For more information about the
Best Start for Baby and Mom program
and how to get involved, contact info@beststart4babyandmom.com.
Remember to check back for updates to this page!
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Empowering parents, caregivers, and Trusted Messengers! The Best Start for Baby + Mom campaign provides essential information on well baby visits and immunizations for expecting mothers and young children, emphasizing that a healthy start for babies also means a healthy mom.
Visit our landing page today for bilingual resources, answers to FAQs about maternal and pediatric vaccines, an immunization locator, and everything you need to support maternal and infant health.
