“COVID-19 is still spreading in our communities,” says Jennifer A. McCoy, MD, a Maternal Fetal Medicine specialist at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center.
If you’re pregnant, the COVID-19 vaccine will not only help prevent you from getting seriously ill, but it can help protect your baby, too, she says. And pregnant people are more likely to get seriously ill from the virus, she adds, which can mean you end up in the hospital or intensive care unit.
“COVID can also lead to death and getting severe COVID during pregnancy can increase complications such as preterm birth and still birth,” she says.
The safety and effectiveness of the vaccine
The COVID-19 vaccine is especially important if you’re pregnant because of the protection it offers against getting extremely ill.
“The COVID- 19 vaccine is 85% to 95% effective at preventing severe illness, especially after the full primary series and booster doses,” says McCoy. “This protection is the same whether you're pregnant or not.”
Large studies have also shown no evidence of risks or safety concerns when you are pregnant.
When to get the vaccine
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and The Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine both recommend COVID-19 vaccination for all people planning pregnancy, as well as anyone who is pregnant, postpartum, or breastfeeding.
“When you get the COVID vaccine when you are pregnant, your baby will receive antibodies that you will pass to them during your pregnancy. This will protect your baby in their first few months of life,” she says.
She also adds that newborns depend on antibodies passed to them during pregnancy for protection from COVID-19.
