The CDC advisory strongly recommends COVID-19 vaccinations for pregnant women, those who are recently pregnant — including those who are lactating — and those who are trying to become pregnant or who may become pregnant in the future.
CDC officials said getting vaccinated can prevent serious illness, death and even adverse pregnancy outcomes including preterm birth, still birth and having a newborn admitted to the ICU with the virus.
Pregnancy and vaccinations were part of recent state health department briefings in Georgia and South Carolina.
MORE: Pfizer Vaccine Wins Full FDA Approval
Gov. Brian Kemp said he remains opposed to mandatory vaccinations, including for pregnant women.
“Even though the science and the data I’ve seen say it’s safe for pregnant women or women thinking about bearing children to get vaccinated, there’s still a lot of people who have that hesitancy out there,” he said. “I don’t think the government is going to be telling these moms or potential moms-to-be what they need to do. We need them to talk to their doctor to get comfortable.”
Dr. Kathleen Toomey, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Health, agreed with the health advisory issued by the CDC. She said pregnant woman should get vaccinated and get the booster shot when they are eligible.
[adrotate banner=”13″]
“Pregnancy is actually considered a high-risk condition, because pregnant women are more likely to have complications. If they haven’t been vaccinated, it’s safe to be vaccinated before or during pregnancy,” said Toomey.
Dr. Brannon Traxler, public health director for the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, also echoed the urgency of the CDC advisory.
“For pregnant women, there is very strong evidence that women, during and after pregnancy are at much greater risk for more severe illness from COVID-19 than other people in their age group and they’re likely to have major pregnancy complications due to the infection,” she said. “It is important for expecting mothers to get vaccinated as soon as possible to protect themselves and their babies.”
MORE: Another Company to Seek COVID-19 Vaccine Approval for Younger Children
The CDC health advisory recommends women be vaccinated either before or during pregnancy because the benefits of vaccination for both pregnant persons and their fetus or infant outweigh known or potential risks. Additionally, the advisory calls on health departments and clinicians to educate pregnant people on the benefits of vaccination and the safety of recommended vaccines.
According to CDC data, only 31 percent of pregnant people have been vaccinated against COVID-19. Through Sept. 27 there were more that 125,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases among pregnant women. The advisory said 22,000 women have been hospitalized and 161 have died because of COVID-19.
The advisory is available here.
Dana Lynn McIntyre is a Staff Reporter with The Augusta Press. You can reach her at dana@theaugustapress.com.
[adrotate banner=”51″]
