CDC urges all pregnant women to get COVID-19 vaccine

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) — One demographic often overlooked during the pandemic is the soon-to-be mothers. As hot spots are coming back again throughout parts of the country, this week the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urged all pregnant women to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

When it comes to pregnant women and the vaccine, the number one question is: Is it safe for my baby and me?

Daniel Grace, a division chief of maternal fetal medicine from Rochester Regional Health, has the answer.

“We do know that pregnant women are much more susceptible to severe manifestations of COVID-19, so we always have to balance that against what are the potential risks of taking a vaccine,” Dr. Grace said.

“When a patient is pregnant and becomes infected with COVID, there is about a 10-12 per thousand rate of being severely affected enough that they end up in the ICU, and that contrasts with about a three to four per thousand for women of equivalent age or who are not pregnant, so about a three to four-fold increase in risk of ending up in the ICU,” he said.

While the hospitalization numbers are seemingly low, the CDC doubled down its stance following new data underscoring the safety of the vaccine for pregnant women.

“I know initially when this came out, there were some concerns about the vaccine causing infertility in non-pregnant patients; all of the data that has come out so far has not validated that,” Dr. Grace said.

Based upon running studies and databases across the country, Dr. Grace’s medical opinion is that the COVID vaccine is indeed safe for those expecting.

“I would recommend the COVID-19 vaccine for pregnant patients, and I’m putting my money where my mouth is. If my family member was pregnant, I would recommend it to them,” he said.