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    Pregnancy Health Alert: COVID-19 Vaccine is Strongly Recommended

    UNITED STATES

    10.20.2021

    Story by Janet A. Aker 

    Defense Health Agency

    If you are pregnant, recently pregnant or thinking about getting pregnant in the future, you should get the COVID-19 vaccination, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised in a recent health advisory.

    Pregnant and recently pregnant women with COVID-19 are at increased risk of severe illness, death, and pregnancy complications, studies show.

    Preterm Birth

    Pregnant women with the COVID-19 disease are also at increased risk for preterm birth./p>

    Some preliminary data suggests that COVID-19 increases risk for other adverse pregnancy complications and outcomes, such as preeclampsia (severe high blood pressure), coagulopathy (blood coagulation to clots), and stillbirth, compared with pregnant people without COVID-19.

    Risks to Newborn Babies

    Furthermore, CDC's alert explained that babies “born to people with COVID-19 are also at increased risk for admission to the neonatal ICU."

    "In addition, although rare, pregnant people with COVID-19 can transmit infection to their neonates; among neonates born to women with COVID-19 during pregnancy, 1%-4% of neonates tested were positive" based on polymerase chain technology testing, CDC said.

    Breastfeeding

    A majority of military doctors agree that women who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 should not have any concerns about breastfeeding.

    Getting the vaccine while breastfeeding protects the mother and is safe for both the mother and the baby, Ryan said, adding: "Breastfeeding is healthy for babies, and mom's antibodies may be present in breastmilk. Breastfeeding is not an established way for an infant to attain immunity against COVID-19, but breastfeeding is still clearly healthy for babies."

    Other CDC Recommendations

    Vaccination coverage for pregnant women differs by race and ethnicity, with vaccination uptake being lowest for non-Hispanic Black pregnant women (15.6%), data collected by the agency show.

    In addition, "pregnant people should continue to follow all recommended prevention measures" such as mask wearing, hand washing and physical distancing, "and should seek care immediately for any symptoms of COVID-19."

    Healthcare providers should have "a low threshold for increased monitoring during pregnancy due to the risk of severe illness."

    Pregnant women "should be counseled by health care personnel in alignment with the CDC, ACOG, SMFM, and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine and the recommendations for vaccination," Lutgendorf said.

    "Counseling to support the recommendation for vaccination should include data on vaccine efficacy and vaccine safety during pregnancy and lactation," she added.

    "Provider counseling has been shown to have a significant positive impact on patient vaccination," she said. The CDC added a strong recommendation from a health care provider is a critical factor in COVID-19 vaccine acceptance.

    The CDC also recommends that health care workers remind patients that COVID-19 vaccination is recommended even for those with prior COVID-19 infections.

    Eligible pregnant women should also consider a booster dose.

    There is currently no evidence that any vaccines, including COVID-19 vaccines, cause fertility problems in women or men, CDC data show.

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 10.20.2021
    Date Posted: 10.21.2021 09:11
    Story ID: 407641
    Location: US

    Web Views: 73
    Downloads: 0

    PUBLIC DOMAIN