What should I know about COVID-19 vaccines if I am pregnant?
Vaccination is probably the best way to prevent COVID-19 during pregnancy, when the risks of serious illness and death from the virus are higher than usual.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says that COVID-19 vaccinations should not be withheld from pregnant women, and that women should discuss individual risks and benefits with their healthcare providers.
The U.S. government’s emergency approval for the vaccination of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for priority groups does not cite pregnancy as a reason to withhold the shots.
But the OB-GYN group says women should consult their doctors, as COVID-19 vaccines have not yet been tested in pregnant women. Evidence of safety and effectiveness is reassuring from studies that inadvertently included some women who did not know they were pregnant when they enrolled.
More responses are expected from upcoming research, including a study by Pfizer and German partner BioNTech which is expected to start early this year and which will include pregnant women.
Experts believe that there is no reason to think that the two authorized vaccinations could harm fetuses. They may even protect them against the development of COVID-19, although this has not yet been proven, Dr. Denise Jamieson, chair of gynecology and obstetrics at Emory University School of Medicine, said.
This thinking comes in part from the experience with flu and pertussis vaccines, which are approved for use during pregnancy and which protect newborns and their mothers from developing diseases.
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