CDC urges COVID vaccine for those pregnant or nursing

(Gray News) – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention strongly recommends the COVID-19 vaccine for those who are pregnant, recently pregnant, who are trying to become pregnant now or who might become pregnant in the future.

“CDC strongly recommends COVID-19 vaccination either before or during pregnancy because the benefits of vaccination outweigh known or potential risks,” said a health alert posted Wednesday to the agency’s website.

During the pandemic, there have been more than 125,000 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases reported in pregnant people, including more than 22,000 hospitalized cases and 161 deaths, the CDC said.

According to the agency, about 97% of the pregnant people hospitalized with confirmed COVID cases in 2021 were unvaccinated.

As of mid-September, 31% of pregnant people were fully vaccinated before or during their pregnancy, compared to 55.8% of all Americans.

“Healthcare providers should strongly recommend that people who are pregnant, recently pregnant (including those who are lactating), who are trying to become pregnant now, or who might become pregnant in the future receive one of the authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccines as soon as possible,” the CDC said.