by Harry Wilmerding
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Wednesday that they strongly recommend pregnant women get a COVID-19 vaccination.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended “urgent action” Wednesday for “people who are pregnant, recently pregnant … who are trying to become pregnant now, or who might become pregnant in the future” as 125,000 COVID-19 cases reported among pregnant women have resulted in 22,000 hospitalizations and 161 deaths.
The Wednesday announcement reports that current data shows vaccines neither increase the risk of miscarriages or birth defects nor carry any negative impacts on fertility.
CDC data shows that roughly 31% of pregnant women who have reported testing positive for COVID-19 received a vaccination, and around 97% of pregnant women hospitalized “either for illness or for labor and delivery” were unvaccinated.
“I strongly encourage those who are pregnant or considering pregnancy to talk with their health care provider about the protective benefits of the COVID-19 vaccine to keep their babies and themselves safe,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said in a statement, according to NBC News.
The new announcement highlights the CDC’s efforts to convince vulnerable groups to receive the vaccine. In an August press release, the CDC announced that “the increased risk of severe illness and pregnancy complications related to COVID-19 infection among pregnant people make vaccination for this population more urgent than ever.”
Women who are pregnant or recently pregnant are more likely to get severely sick from COVID-19 compared to non-pregnant women, according to the CDC. More, pregnant women with COVID-19 face an increased risk of admission into intensive care along with a 70% increased chance of death.
– – –
Harry Wilmerding is a reporter at Daily Caller News Foundation.
