Protecting You and Your Baby During Flu Season

Flu vaccinations are the single most effective prevention against flu, and are safe and recommended during pregnancy. Please speak with your provider about vaccination.

You can also prevent the flu from affecting you or your baby by asking visitors to wash their hands before holding the baby and – if they have cold‐ or flu‐like symptoms–– to postpone their visit until they are well.

If flu cases reach high levels in our communities, we follow these guidelines at all Oregon Providence hospitals:

Visitors must be 12 years of age or older. Exceptions are made for well siblings of the baby.

Visitors, family members and siblings with cold‐ or flu‐like symptoms are asked to stay home because they are a risk to our mothers’ and babies’ health. Exceptions are made for parents of the baby.

Visitors not essential to the mother’s emotional well‐being and care are asked not to visit during this period. This prevents accidentally spreading the flu to our pregnant mothers and babies.

The neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) may have additional guidelines.

For more details on visitor guidelines, speak with your provider or nurse. Thank you for helping us fight the flu.