FILE - In this Thursday, May 7, 2020 file photo, a pregnant woman wearing a face mask and gloves holds her belly as she waits in line for groceries with hundreds during a food pantry sponsored by Healthy Waltham for those in need due to the COVID-19 virus outbreak, at St. Mary's Church in Waltham, Mass. Two major OB-GYN groups now recommend pregnant women receive the COVID-19 vaccine. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
SALT LAKE CITY — Two of the nation’s leading medical groups representing obstetricians and gynecologists (OB-GYN specialists) recommend that anyone who is pregnant should be vaccinated against COVID-19.
The groups previously said a vaccine shouldn’t be withheld from pregnant people, but stopped short of recommending it.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) issued a joint statement online with the new recommendations. They said the guidance comes from “evidence demonstrating the safe use of the COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy from tens of thousands of reporting individuals over the last several months, as well as the current low vaccination rates and concerning increase in cases.”
A COVID-19 infection puts pregnant women at increased risk of severe complications and even death, the groups said.
“ACOG encourages its members to enthusiastically recommend vaccination to their patients. This means emphasizing the known safety of the vaccines and the increased risk of severe complications associated with COVID-19 infection, including death, during pregnancy,” said J. Martin Tucker, MD, FACOG, president of ACOG. “It is clear that pregnant people need to feel confident in the decision to choose vaccination, and a strong recommendation from their obstetrician–gynecologist could make a meaningful difference for many pregnant people.”
The groups also said they were concerned about low vaccination rates and increasing cases.
“Pregnant individuals who have decided to wait until after delivery to be vaccinated may be inadvertently exposing themselves to an increased risk of severe illness or death. Those who have recently delivered and were not vaccinated during pregnancy are also strongly encouraged to get vaccinated as soon as possible.”
According to the CDC, only about 22% of pregnant individuals have received one or more doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
“Vaccines are our single most effective tool against preventable viruses or diseases, including COVID-19. ACOG and SMFM encourage pregnant individuals to get vaccinated without delay because widespread uptake of the vaccines is the best chance we have to save lives and end this pandemic.”
COVID-19 coronavirus spreads person to person, similar to the common cold and the flu. So, to prevent it from spreading:
Utah’s Coronavirus Information
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Utah Coronavirus Information Line – 1-800-456-7707
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention