Is It Safe for Pregnant Women to Get the COVID-19 Vaccine?

Is it safe for pregnant women to get the COVID-19 vaccine?

The American College of OB-GYN and the Academy of Pediatrics continue to recommend that pregnant women get a COVID-19 vaccine.

According to Dr. Robert Atlas, OB/GYN, chair of Mercy’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and a key leader within The Family Childbirth and Children’s Center at Mercy, pregnant women who are diagnosed with COVID-19 are more susceptible to complications, like preterm birth and preeclampsia.

Dr. Atlas explained that it’s safe for pregnant women to get the COVID-19 vaccine at any point in their pregnancy.

“There's been this little surge over the summertime, and we certainly are seeing patients who are COVID-positive. I think our reaction to individuals who are COVID-positive is very different today than it was many years ago, where [today,] the disease is more commonly associated with the common cold and some other untoward things,” Dr. Atlas said. “People who are pregnant still have a marked increased risk for having significant disease, especially if you've never been vaccinated before, and we’re still seeing lots of women who have not been vaccinated ever.”

Dr. Atlas added that pregnant women need to ensure they get the flu vaccine, saying September and October are exactly when to get it.

View Mercy’s Dr. Robert Atlas’ interview regarding receiving the COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy.