Question

Should those who are pregnant or breastfeeding get a COVID-19 vaccine?

Answered by maternal-fetal medicine expert Teresa Berg, MD

I encourage everyone who is pregnant or breastfeeding to discuss receiving a COVID-19 vaccination with their doctors. 

Both the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine recommend all pregnant people get one of the COVID-19 vaccines. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also recently released the following statement:

"COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for all people aged 12 years and older, including people who are pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to get pregnant now, or might become pregnant in the future."

Pregnant and recently pregnant people are more likely to have symptoms and require hospitalization from COVID-19 when compared to non-pregnant people. Learn more about this. 

Data from the CDC shows that people in the Pfizer and Moderna clinical trials who received the vaccine prior to knowing they were pregnant did have successful, healthy pregnancies. There is also evidence that antibodies appear in larger numbers after vaccination than after COVID-19 infection. These antibodies cross into the mother’s breast milk, providing protection to the newborn. 

In the United States, more than 387 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccines have been given. More than 182 million Americans are now fully vaccinated. We have no reason to believe any of the COVID-19 vaccines would harm a developing fetus or a nursing infant. 

Regardless of your vaccination status, if you are pregnant, it's extra important to continue to follow COVID-19 prevention steps like wearing a mask, washing your hands frequently and staying 6 feet or more away from others.

Find out why this pregnant mom chose to get vaccinated against COVID-19.