COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy not linked to adverse birth outcomes

This is despite guidance from the CDC and other medical organizations, such as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, recommending vaccination against COVID-19 for pregnant individuals.The lower vaccination rate in pregnant women reflects their concerns about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines.A large CDC study now adds to previous research showing that receiving a COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy does not adversely affect the health of the newborn. This study adds to the evidence that COVID-19 vaccination is safe during pregnancy.”The study appears in the CDC’s weekly journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.The clinical trials that researchers conducted to test the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines did not involve pregnant people.However, subsequent studies showed no obvious safety concerns associated with COVID-19 vaccines on the health of pregnant people or newborns.Yet many of these studies have involved a small sample size or lacked a control group of unvaccinated pregnant individuals. Over 98% of these women received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in either the second or third trimester of their pregnancy.After controlling for variables, the researchers found that the prevalence of preterm birth and SGA at birth was similar in vaccinated and unvaccinated pregnant women.Moreover, the trimester when the participant received the first or only COVID-19 dose did not impact the risk of preterm births or SGA at birth.