The CDC has taken a definitive stance on pregnant women being vaccinated against COVID-19. After remaining neutral for the bulk of the pandemic, the agency issued its recommendation Wednesday; pregnant women should be vaccinated, as the risks of contracting the virus greatly outweigh any possible adverse side effects of the vaccines.
“The rise in cases, vaccine hesitancy, and the increased risk of severe illness for pregnant people make vaccination against #COVID19 more urgent than ever…Evidence suggests that the benefits of receiving a #COVID19 vaccine during pregnancy outweighs any known or potential risks and vaccination is essential to protect pregnant people.,” read a pair of tweets from CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH.
As of Wednesday, the CDC recommends all people aged 12 and up, including pregnant women, should be vaccinated against the novel Coronavirus.
The new guidance cites significant data backing up the safety of COVID-19 vaccines for pregnant women in clinical trials.
“Studies in animals receiving a Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, or Johnson & Johnson (J&J)/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine before or during pregnancy found no safety concerns in pregnant animals or their babies…” read a section from the CDC guidance released Wednesday.
Additionally, reports tracking the vaccine’s safety among the general population continue to be ‘reassuring.’
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The report analyzed data from three safety monitoring systems in place to gather information about COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy. These early data did not find any safety concerns for pregnant people who were vaccinated or their babies….” read an excerpt from Wednesday’s guidance. “Another report looked at pregnant people enrolled in the v-safe pregnancy registry who were vaccinated before 20 weeks of pregnancy. Scientists did not find an increased risk for miscarriage among people who received an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, 50.5 percent of the U.S. population is fully vaccinated as of August 10. 59.1 percent of the population has had at least one dose.