Traveling across the us with 6 week old hi i currently live in virginia, usa. i''m pregnant, due may 27th. when our son will be about 6 weeks old, we''re supposed to travel to a big family gathering in southern california. recently there have been outbre

That's : That's a heck of a trip to take with such a small baby. Unless it is an absolute necessity, you may want to consider staying home - a new baby is a great excuse! i share your concern about exposure to potentially dangerous infectious diseases that he is too young to be vaccinated against on the plane and by being around many unvaccinated people. Part of what protects unvaccinated newborns is that most adults and older kids are vaccinated and are unlikely to transfer disease - it's called "herd immunity". You can talk to your child's pediatrician about early vaccination. Babies can be vaccinated with the first set of vaccinations after 6 weeks of age instead of waiting until 8 weeks, but this may or may not be an option depending on when your child is born. The other thing to consider is that all babies under 8 weeks of age that develop a fever over 100.4f are required to have a "rule out sepsis" work-up involving bloodwork, urinalysis, spinal tap, IV antibiotics and hospital admission for a minimum of 2 days. This is because newborns can become very sick very quickly and often will show no other signs of illness besides a fever. Exposure to lots of people on a plane and at a large family function will increase the risk that he could catch a viral or bacterial illness and you could end up spending your trip at a hospital in california. The best way to prevent this if you take the trip is to wash your hands frequently or use hand sanitizer on the plane. You may also want to minimize how many people handle your baby at the event, especially keeping him away from anyone who shows signs of illness such as runny nose, cough or fever. You may also want to talk to your child's doctor and ask if they have any other suggestions. Good luck!