During a roundtable at an International AIDS Society conference on Feb. 1, Fauci shared his thoughts on vaccinating pregnant people, as the New York Daily News reported. Fauci noted that about 10,000 pregnant women had been vaccinated in the U.S. without issue. “We had a lot of pregnant women vaccinated. The FDA followed them and will continue to follow them,” he said. He acknowledged that there’s not yet comprehensive data on how the vaccine interacts with pregnant people, but noted the current data is encouraging. “Even though we don’t have good data on it, the data that we’re collecting on it so far has no red flags,” Fauci added. The World Health Organization (WHO) updated its stance on getting the COVID vaccine during pregnancy on Feb. 1. WHO’s guidance now says that although there is limited data to assess vaccine safety during pregnancy, “based on what we know about this kind of vaccine, we don’t have any specific reason to believe there will be specific risks that would outweigh the benefits of vaccination for pregnant women.” And for more up-to-date information, sign up for our daily newsletter. Fauci noted that while it’s considered safe for pregnant people to get the COVID vaccine, they should still speak with their doctor before doing so, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends. The CDC suggests discussing the patient’s likelihood of exposure to COVID, the potential risks COVID could pose to the fetus and patient, and what is currently known about the vaccine, including how well it works and possible side effects. And for more on vaccine reactions, Dr. Fauci Says These 2 Side Effects Mean Your COVID Vaccine Is Working. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) vice president of practice activities Christopher Zahn, MD, told USA Today that the nature of the COVID vaccine means pregnant women shouldn’t worry about vaccination. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines don’t contain a live virus that could make a recipient sick, he explained. Additionally, no part of the vaccine ever enters the nucleus, so it can’t make any genetic changes to the patient or the fetus. And for more coronavirus news, If You Have This Common Habit, Your COVID Symptoms Will Be Worse “In general, vaccines seem quite safe in pregnant women,” except those that contain a live virus, Sonja Rasmussen, MD, a professor in the departments of pediatrics and epidemiology at the University of Florida, told Scientific American. She noted that not only are tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough, and flu shots without the live virus considered safe for pregnant people—they’re actually recommended. And for more vaccine guidance to follow, You Should Never Do This After Getting the COVID Vaccine, Officials Say.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb Pregnant people who work in medical fields or have underlying conditions are eligible for the vaccine in any state. However, some states, such as New Jersey, have included all pregnant people in priority groups of vaccination. And for more on the vaccine side effects you should expect, Dr. Fauci Says He Had These Side Effects From His Second Vaccine Dose.
