Dr. Justin Ortiz, who co-chairs the American Thoracic Society’s Working Group on Vaccines said “Pregnant women are at increased risk of severe COVID-19. Also, many women of childbearing age have increased COVID-19 exposure risks, including healthcare providers and other workers providing essential services. While data are limited, there are no preclinical or clinical data to date indicating an increased risk of COVID-19 vaccination adverse events during pregnancy. The currently available vaccines (mRNA-based vaccines) do not have live viruses.
Dr. Ortiz added, “If my sister or wife were pregnant and was offered one of the authorized vaccines in the US, I would not hesitate to recommend that she receive it.”
Additionally, both the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine make strong recommendations that pregnant and lactating patients not be withheld access to the Covid-19 vaccines based on review of all available data on safety and efficacy.
