Should Pregnant People Get the COVID-19 Vaccine?

On Wednesday, the CDC updated their guidance for pregnant people regarding the COVID-19 vaccine. CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky states:

“CDC encourages all pregnant people or people who are thinking about becoming pregnant and those breastfeeding to get vaccinated to protect themselves from COVID-19. The vaccines are safe and effective, and it has never been more urgent to increase vaccinations as we face the highly transmissible Delta variant and see severe outcomes from COVID-19 among unvaccinated pregnant people.”

A new CDC analysis of data from the v-safe pregnancy registry assessed vaccination early in pregnancy and did not find an increased risk of miscarriage among nearly 2,500 pregnant women who received an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine before 20 weeks of pregnancy. This study found miscarriage rates after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine to be around 13%, similar to the expected rate of miscarriage in the general population of 11-16%. 

Data from three safety monitoring systems did not find safety concerns for pregnant people who were vaccinated late in pregnancy or for their babies. Combined, these results and the known severe risks of COVID-19 during pregnancy demonstrate that the benefits of receiving a COVID-19 vaccine for pregnant people outweigh any known or potential risks. 

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) also recommends all pregnant individuals get a COVID-19 vaccine. 

Clinicians have reported the number of pregnant people infected with COVID-19 to be on the rise over the past several weeks. The increased circulation of the highly contagious Delta variant, the low vaccine uptake among pregnant people, and the increased risk of severe illness and complications related to COVID-19 infection among pregnant people make vaccination more urgent than ever for this population.

Stay up to date on the CDC’s guidance for protecting yourself and your loved ones from COVID-19 here.

Learn more from our partners at Vaccinate Your Family.