I’m pregnant (or hope to be pregnant soon) and nervous about the COVID-19 vaccine. Do I get it?
GEHA | September 1, 2021
Dr. Jared Dirks, MD, is Director of Population Health at GEHA. He is a physician leader and healthcare executive with more than 10 years of experience delivering patient-focused care as well as driving operational and organizational leadership on the provider and managed care platforms.
A) Yes. All pregnant people, people who are thinking about becoming pregnant, and those breastfeeding should get vaccinated against COVID-19. This is because the evidence about the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy has been well-established and continues to grow. In fact, there is currently no evidence that any vaccines, including COVID-19 vaccines, cause fertility problems in women or men.
The data and guidance from the CDC suggest that the benefits of receiving a COVID-19 vaccine outweigh any known or potential risks of vaccination during pregnancy. However, the risks associated with COVID-19 are greater for pregnant and recently pregnant people, who are more likely to get severely ill with COVID-19 compared with non-pregnant people.
Source: https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2021/s0811-vaccine-safe-pregnant.html