This article was medically reviewed by Carolyn Swenson, MD, adjunct professor of obstetrics and gynecology and a member of the Prevention Medical Review Committee.
Since the advent of COVID-19 vaccines, there has been confusion about whether or not they are safe for pregnant women. The reason: the first clinical trials of the vaccine did not include pregnant or lactating women, making it impossible to know for sure if they are safe to be vaccinated.
Reminder: Pregnant people have an increased risk of serious COVID-19 disease, along with an increased risk of other adverse outcomes, such as premature birth, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
At a recent press conference, Anthony Fauci, MD, the country’s top infectious disease expert, said clinical trials in pregnant women (and children) are underway, so we should have more definitive answers soon. And meanwhile, about 20,000 pregnant women have received the COVID-19 vaccine “without red flags,” Dr. Fauci said.
These revelations are promising, but if you’re pregnant (or a loved one is), you may be wondering if it’s a good idea for pregnant women to get vaccinated. This is what you need to know.
How does the COVID-19 vaccine work again?
Both Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines use a newer technology called messenger RNA, or mRNA, which is genetic material for the virus, according to the CDC. (Note: it is not the virus itself, but only the genetic coding of the virus. The vaccine will no makes you sick with COVID-19.)
The mRNA tells your body how to produce a spike protein, which the new coronavirus uses to attach to human cells. When the body begins to pump up peak proteins, the system sees them as strange and creates antibodies unique to the coronavirus. The body eventually removes both protein and mRNA, but the antibodies stick together and provide you with protection against COVID-19 in case you become infected in the future.
What do public health organizations say about the COVID-19 vaccine when you are pregnant or breastfeeding?
This is where things get confused. Both the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the CDC have largely said that pregnant and lactating women should be able to get the COVID-19 vaccine, if they want to. However, both organizations fail to recommend that pregnant women be vaccinated.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) initially advised women against get the vaccine. But in late January, the organization revised its recommendation and stated, “From what we know about this type of vaccine, we have no specific reason to believe that there will be specific risks that would outweigh the benefits of vaccination for pregnant women. “.
Before getting the vaccine, the ACOG recommends that pregnant women talk to their doctor about the following:
- the level of virus activity in the community
- the potential efficacy of the available vaccine
- the risk and potential severity of maternal disease, including the effects of the disease on the fetus and newborn
- the safety of the vaccine for the pregnant patient and the fetus
However, the ACOG also states that “no conversation should be held with your doctor,” as it can cause “unnecessary barriers” to vaccination.
Therefore, is it safe for pregnant and lactating women to receive the COVID-19 vaccine?
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“In the absence of data obtained in pregnant and lactating women, it is difficult to openly recommend an intervention,” says Emily S Miller, MD, MPH, assistant professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern Medicine.
But, according to what has been studied so far, “there is no reason to think that pregnant women or their fetus are at risk of receiving the COVID-19 vaccine,” says William Schaffner, MD, a specialist in infectious diseases. and professor at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. And, he points out, studies on pregnant animals have found no cause for concern.
“Everything we know about the vaccine would indicate that it should be safe,” says Dr. Schaffner. “The vaccine RNA does not come close to human DNA, either from the mother or the fetus.”
Statements from public health organizations (such as the WHO) have been cautious, but “everything we’ve seen of women who became pregnant during clinical trials or who were already pregnant and received the vaccine is reassuring. says Amesh A. Adalja, MD, an infectious disease expert. , senior academic at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.
Public health officials and organizations, including the ACOG, are “doing the best they can with what they have to work with,” says Michael Cackovic, MD, a maternal fetal medicine physician at The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center. “They’re saying, ‘We don’t have the data to make that recommendation,’ and that’s right.”
At the same time, Dr. Cackovic points out that this type of vaccine is considered safer for pregnant women than other types of vaccines. “The COVID-19 mRNA vaccine does not contain any live virus, and these types of vaccines are considered more compatible during pregnancy because they work by inducing an immune response by the host,” she explains.
In addition, the fact that pregnant women have a high risk of serious complications from COVID-19 makes the vaccine at least worth considering, says Joanne Stone, MD, director of Mount Maternal Fetal Medicine Division. Sinai Health System of New York. “The benefits seem to outweigh the risks, although a conversation with a healthcare professional can help you make an individual decision,” he explains. “And it’s important for women to be informed about the lack of data on vaccine safety in pregnant women.”
Summary: Pregnant women should talk to their doctor about the COVID-19 vaccine.
Now that pregnant women are now included in vaccine trials, Dr. Cackovic says that “ongoing conversations with your doctor should include recently published information about the safety, efficacy, and availability of the vaccine during pregnancy. ‘pregnancy’.
Dr. Adalja agrees. “I think this is a decision between a doctor and a patient,” he says. “But in most cases, pregnant women should be immunized.”
This article is accurate from the time of the press. However, as the COVID-19 pandemic evolves rapidly and the scientific community’s understanding of the new coronavirus develops, it is possible that some of the information has changed since its last update. While we want to keep all of our stories up to date, visit the online resources provided by CDC, WHO, and yours local public health department to be informed of the latest news. Always talk to your doctor for professional medical advice.
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