As promised, I would keep you updated on any new info about the COVID-19 vaccine and pregnancy. So, here it is! Good news…it looks safe so far! We now have info from the 123,165 reported pregnant people who received the vaccine by 6/7/21.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
We still don’t have as much data as we like because this is still a new vaccine. We don’t have long-term data about that vaccine. However, we also don’t have long-term data about COVID-19 infection in pregnancy either.
It’s also important to know that the miscarriage rate in the U.S. is 26%, and in the V-safe pregnancy registry (the CDC’s registry) the miscarriage rate is 13.9% (Source: New England Journal of Medicine article that looks at the v-safe and VAERS data from December 14, 2020 to Feb 28, 2021). So far, we haven’t seen an increase in miscarriages among those who have received the vaccine. As for other pregnancy-related complications such as preterm birth, birth defects, preeclampsia, and gestational diabetes, there is so far no indication that the vaccine increases the risk of those complications either.
If you do decide to get the vaccine, consider registering in one of the vaccine pregnancy registries here. As of May 24th, 2021 there are over 5,000 registrations. According to the CDC, “The registry is collecting health information from people who received COVID-19 vaccination in the preconception period (within 30 days before last menstrual period) or during pregnancy.” This info is super important to help people and their healthcare providers make informed decisions about getting the vaccines.
We also do have information on how contracting COVID-19 can affect pregnant women. There is evidence that shows pregnant women are at a higher risk for more severe illness. According to the CDC, pregnant women are:
- 70% more likely to die than nonpregnant people
- 3x more likely to end up in the ICU than nonpregnant people
- 2.9x more likely to end up on a ventilator than nonpregnant people.
As I always recommend, you need to make the decision that is best FOR YOU! Use all available info to do that. For more detailed information, you can refer to the CDC website here. Always speak to your doctor about any concerns you may have regarding pregnancy.
While this information is encouraging, we still need a lot more information about the vaccine and pregnant people.
Source: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2104983