CDC Strengthens Recommendation That Pregnant People Get COVID Vaccine
CDC enthusiastically recommends that pregnant people get COVID-19 vaccine
When the vaccines first rolled out earlier this year, a lot of pregnant individuals who might otherwise have gotten the vaccine, abstained from getting their shot. Why? Many expecting parents stated that there weren’t enough pregnant and breastfeeding individuals in the initial COVID-19 vaccine trials, which made them wary about getting vaccinated. Now there is more than enough data, studies, trials, and real-world info about pregnancy and the vaccine and the CDC is doubling down on their messaging which is this: the COVID-19 vaccine is safe and pregnant people should absolutely get the shot.
“CDC recommends that pregnant people should be vaccinated against COVID-19, based on new evidence about the safety and effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines. COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for all people 12 years and older, including people who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or trying to get pregnant now or might become pregnant in the future,” the CDC said in an updated statement on August 11, 2021.
At this point, in the midst of the raging Delta variant, being pregnant and holding out on getting the vaccine is just plain dangerous.
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If you are still debating, the CDC literally listed out all the studies and real-real data, to date, proving that it is okay to be pregnant and get the vaccine. Since rolling out the vaccine in December 2020, the evidence for the vaccine is robust and the excuse that there “just isn’t enough data about pregnant people” isn’t holding its weight anymore. There was also a lot of misinformation about the vaccine and miscarrying and officials state with data to back it up that miscarriage rates after the vaccine was similar to the expected rate of miscarriage in any group of pregnant people. There is no evidence that the vaccine causes a person to miscarry.
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Per the CDC, the vaccination rate among pregnant folk is extremely low. As of July 31, only 23% of those who are pregnant had received at least one dose of vaccine against the coronavirus. Tragically, this low rate of vaccination coupled with the Delta virus is overwhelming the pregnant population. Doctors share stories of pregnant women intubated for two months while pregnant, only to be released with lasting lung damage. A famous singer in Malaysia contracted COVID-19 while pregnant and just died of the virus days after giving birth. An obstetrics chief in Texas is seeing so many pregnant and COVID-19 positive patients she had to give a press conference to warn expectant mothers of the risks (preterm birth, prematurity, increased risk of preeclampsia) they face if they contract COVID-19.
“Pregnant and recently pregnant people are at an increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19 when compared with non-pregnant people,” the CDC states.
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Not only is the CDC recommending that pregnant people get vaccinated, but the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) want pregnant folk to get the jab, too.
“ACOG is recommending the vaccination of pregnant individuals because we have evidence of the safe and effective use of the vaccine during pregnancy from many tens of thousands of reporting individuals because we know that COVID-19 infection puts pregnant people at increased risk of severe complications, and because it is clear from the current vaccination rates that people need to feel confident in the safety and protective value of the COVID-19 vaccines,” ACOG president Dr. J. Martin Tucker said in a statement (via Today).
Also, getting vaccinated builds antibodies that might protect your baby. Getting vaccinated while pregnant can potentially save your infant child’s life, too! The guidance for pregnant folk when it comes to the COVID-19 vaccine is an enthusiastic “DO IT!” and you can find out how to do so, here.
