Women who are pregnant have a greater risk of serious illness and complications during pregnancy due to the coronavirus. This could include miscarriages or stillbirths. According to CDC data, only 23% of them have received at least one dose.
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, Director of the CDC, stated in a statement that vaccines are safe.
After a CDC review of safety data from 2,500 women, the updated guidance was released. The analysis showed that there were no increased miscarriages in those who had received at least one dose (or more) of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines before 20 weeks. The miscarriage rate was around 13% according to the analysis. This is within the normal range.
Reiterating recent recommendations by top obstetricians, the CDC's advice is in line with those of other organizations. Although the agency has previously advised pregnant women to consider vaccination, it did not make a complete recommendation. This advice is also applicable to women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant.
Experts say that although pregnant women were not included on the studies that led COVID-19 to authorise vaccines, real-world experience with tens to thousands of women has shown that they are safe and can be given to them during pregnancy.
This new guidance is being issued amid an increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations, deaths, and COVID-19-related deaths in the U.S. due to the highly contagious delta variant.
Although this is still being investigated by health authorities, some experts believe that the variant could cause more severe disease in pregnant women than the earlier versions.
According to national statistics, the recent surge in pregnant women with cases is less than during the winter peak. However, in some states, where vaccination rates are low, the number of pregnant mothers-to-be is higher than during previous surges.
"This is by far one of the worst pandemics we have seen," Dr. Jane Martin, an Ochsner Baptist Medical Center obstetrician in New Orleans, said. She said, "It's demoralizing and exhausting." It's hard to believe that it has to be this way.
Ochsner was treating a few very sick pregnant patients at the start of the pandemic. However, the number has declined in recent months.
Martin stated that "a week or so ago that pace changed dramatically." "We have seen many critically ill pregnant patients admitted every day," Martin said.
Martin stated that she had taken care of approximately 30 pregnant patients with COVID-19 in the past two weeks. The majority were not vaccinated.
Experts believe that the disturbing trend has been caused by the removal of social distancing precautions such as mask rules, and the rise in popularity of the delta variant. Vaccinations were not made available to pregnant women and those under 65 until the spring.
Sara Brown, a Tennessee kindergarten teacher, decided early in her pregnancy that she would not get the shots until after the baby was born. She was 36 years old, healthy, and didn't have any safety data about being vaccinated during pregnancy.
What appeared to be a sinus infection in June became severe COVID-19 and she was left in Nashville's intensive care unit, struggling to breathe, for five days.
Suzie, her daughter, was born healthy on August 2. It was an incredibly difficult experience.
She said, "Not being capable of catching your breath is such panicky feeling. Knowing that I had life within me that could be suffering also,"
Brown was treated at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. There were no infected pregnant women in July. According to Dr. Jennifer Thompson, the hospital now admits four to five patients per week. She said that 20% of these patients are now being treated in the ICU, as opposed to 11% in previous surges.
Some pregnant patients with COVID-19 are so sick that their organs fail, doctors can induce labor or have babies delivered by Cesarean section.
She said that about 20% of all labor and delivery patients at St. Louis hospital were infected last week. This is more than twice the rate in Missouri during the COVID-19 epidemic. One-third of these women are seriously ill.
According to the CDC, approximately 105,000 U.S. pregnant women have been infected by COVID-19 and nearly 18,000 have been admitted to hospital. One-fourth received intensive care, and 124 of them died.
Mothers-to-be may be at risk from the virus if they experience pregnancy-related changes in their bodies. These include a reduced lung capacity, and adjustments to the disease-fighting immune systems that help protect and support the fetus.
Black and Hispanic women are at greater risk, as they are more likely than other women to be denied health care or face economic inequalities that can increase their likelihood of becoming sick.
Research suggests that the virus may also increase the risk of stillbirth and preterm birth. In rare cases, the virus appears to have spread from the mother to the fetus.
Martin, a New Orleans obstetrician noted that there are increasing numbers of COVID-19-infected babies and children being treated in local hospitals. Some of these may have been born to unvaccinated mothers.
Martin was already pregnant when she received her shots last winter. A week after her last shot, she gave birth to a healthy baby girl.
She stated, "Vaccinating people is our only hope,"
