CDC Updates Vaccine Recommendation For Pregnancy After Study Shows No Increased Risk Of Miscarriage

The CDC is now recommending that pregnant women get vaccinated against COVID-19, after a new study found no increased risk of miscarriage or other adverse outcomes.

The Centers for Disease Control released a statement Wednesday addressing the outcome of COVID-19 vaccination during early pregnancy. They’re asking pregnant women to speak to their healthcare providers and get vaccinated.

Preliminary: New CDC study found no increased risk of miscarriage after #COVID19 vaccination during early pregnancy. These findings can help inform discussions about COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy between pregnant people & healthcare providers: https://t.co/pBVlI6STf8 pic.twitter.com/kruX8OJvyl

— CDC (@CDCgov) August 11, 2021

The recently updated CDC page on pregnancy compares any potential risk of the COVID-19 vaccine to the risk of becoming ill with the virus during pregnancy.

“Evidence about the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy has been growing. These data suggest that the benefits of receiving a COVID-19 vaccine outweigh any known or potential risks of vaccination during pregnancy.”

The page previously recommended vaccination for pregnant individuals, but acknowledged limited data, as seen in an archived version from last month.

“Based on how these vaccines work in the body, experts believe they are unlikely to pose a risk for people who are pregnant. However, there are currently limited data on the safety of COVID-19 vaccines in pregnant people.”

The prior version also noted that there were clinical trials underway, examining how the vaccine worked in pregnant people, and that so far the data suggested the vaccine was safe and effective during pregnancy.

Now the CDC says they have enough data for a preliminary recommendation, especially compared to the risks of contracting the virus while pregnant:

“Although the overall risk of severe illness is low, pregnant and recently pregnant people are at an increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19 when compared with non-pregnant people…Additionally, pregnant people with COVID-19 are at increased risk of preterm birth and might be at increased risk of other adverse pregnancy outcomes, compared with pregnant women without COVID-19.”