COVID Vaccines for Pregnant People

Since the COVID-19 vaccine was made available to my pregnant patients, my colleagues and I have worked with many to help them make a decision about whether to vaccinate for themselves, their babies, and their families. These decisions considered many factors, including the patients’ exposure risk, their risk factors, and more. Many of our patients decided to get vaccinated, while others chose not to.

As the more transmissible Delta variant has caused a spike in cases in the United States, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine have issued new recommendations that pregnant people should get the COVID-19 vaccine. Here’s why:

1. We know pregnant people are at increased risk for severe COVID-19 disease.
2. We know that COVID-19 vaccines are safe during pregnancy, because many tens of thousands of pregnant people have been vaccinated and have reported their experiences back to V-safe, a mobile application that helps researchers follow vaccinated people, whether they have side effects, and whether they become infected.
3. In addition, studies have shown that the COVID-19 vaccine is safe for pregnant individuals and their babies.
4. Most importantly, the vaccines have been proven to protect pregnant individuals.
5. The vaccines are also highly likely to provide protection to infants born to vaccinated people.
6. Pregnant individuals can protect themselves, their infants, their families, and their communities by getting vaccinated against COVID-19.

For all of these reasons, Dr. Marie George, SVMC’s infectious disease specialist; my OB/GYN colleagues; and I now recommend that our pregnant patients get vaccinated against COVID-19.

We know many pregnant patients are likely to have some uncertainty and questions, and we are eager to answer them and provide reassurance. If you are pregnant and have questions about the COVID-19 vaccine, please ask at your next appointment or send your questions to wellness@svhealthcare.org. We will answer them in an upcoming e-newsletter.

Kimberley Sampson, MD, is an obstetrician and gynecologist at SVMC OB/GYN in Bennington, Vermont.