Pregnancy is often a time of sweet anticipation. But the ongoing pressure to make the right decisions for the health and well-being of both the pregnant person and the unborn child tempers this excitement.
And undoubtedly, the decision-making around COVID-19 vaccination adds another layer of stress.
The relative novelty of COVID-19 in our lives, fear of the unknown and abundant misinformation often complicate these decisions. Advice comes during pregnancy from many directions, including well-meaning friends and family, and sometimes even from strangers. It’s worth noting that the decisions a person makes during pregnancy stem from the desire to avoid doing anything that could cause complications in the pregnancy or be harmful to the fetus.
At the same time, it is also important that a parent do everything possible to protect the well-being of the pair.
Pregnant people infected by COVID-19 are three times more likely to need critical care than people who aren’t pregnant. Death is rare in pregnant people, but COVID-19 causes a significant increase in that risk.
Vaccination during pregnancy provides important protection for newborns. Pregnant people who are vaccinated pass antibodies in blood through the umbilical cord to the fetus, and this has been shown to provide protection from serious illness from COVID-19 for the newborn for up to six months.