COVID-19 vaccination is not only safe for pregnant and lactating women, but also recommended, according to Linda O. Eckert, MD, Professor of Women’s Health in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Washington, Seattle. In a late-breaking session at the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) Annual Clinical & Scientific Meeting, Dr. Eckert stated that ACOG has recommended since July 2021 that all eligible individuals aged six months and older, including pregnant and lactating women, receive the COVID-19 vaccine or series.
Since the first administration of the COVID-19 vaccines in December 2020, safety concerns for pregnant and lactating women have been on the rise. However, data accumulation over the last two and a half years demonstrates no safety concerns related to COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy and lactation. As such, Dr. Eckert assures women that there is no need to worry about receiving the vaccine.
During the presentation, Dr. Eckert revealed the updates published in March 2023, which recommend a single bivalent mRNA vaccine for all unvaccinated women, including pregnant women, and all individuals who have not yet received a bivalent mRNA vaccine. People aged six years or older who have received a bivalent mRNA vaccine and are immunocompromised do not need additional COVID-19 vaccinations at this time. COVID-19 vaccines, including influenza and Tdap, can be administered together, and acetaminophen should be suggested to pregnant women who experience fever after vaccination. Additionally, anti-D immunoglobulin can be administered to individuals who plan to or have recently received the vaccine.
Nevertheless, for women with a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection, vaccination is recommended only after they have recovered from acute illness. Therefore, vaccination should be delayed for three months from the start of symptoms, and the SARS-CoV-2 strain should be taken into consideration when assessing the need to delay vaccination after infection.
According to Dr. Eckert, there is extensive and compelling evidence about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy and lactation, and this should encourage women to take the vaccine confidently. Although safety monitoring is still ongoing, all available safety information so far has been extremely reassuring.
Regarding the vaccines’ efficacy, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently discovered that pregnant women who received an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine demonstrated the same level of vaccine-induced immunity as non-pregnant women of a similar age. Additionally, babies born to mothers who received COVID-19 vaccines experienced higher levels of antibodies than those whose mothers had naturally recovered from the virus.
Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 not only protects individuals but also protects their communities by reducing the transmission of the virus. One of the easiest ways to reduce community transmission is to achieve herd immunity, which requires a high percentage of individuals to receive the vaccine. Pregnant women and lactating mothers should take this into account and receive the vaccine to protect themselves and their communities.
In conclusion, there are no safety concerns related to taking the COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy and lactation. Therefore, Dr. Eckert and the ACOG recommend that all individuals receive the vaccine, including pregnant and lactating women. However, for women with a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection, it is advisable to defer vaccination until after they have recovered from acute illness and delay vaccination for three months from the start of symptoms. Administering other vaccines together with the COVID-19 vaccine is not contraindicated.
