LOUISVILLE, Ky. — New data from the CDC this week shows a promising connection between pregnant women and getting the COVID-19 vaccine. Moderna and Pfizer didn't include pregnant women in their trials and that's why there has been little information published on the topic.
A new registry that tracks pregnant health care workers in Teir 1A, pregnant teachers in 1B have gotten the vaccine and now there is data doctors say proves that getting a COVID-19 shot while pregnant or breastfeeding is safe.
"We have had no adverse events, bad outcomes. So we are very excited about that," said Doctor Lyndsey Neese with Norton Healthcare.
The new information is from the V-safe pregnancy registry of more than 30,000 pregnant women who took the vaccine. Of them, 275 have completed their pregnancies.
Dr. Neese said the data shows that there is not an increased risk of miscarriage if you get the vaccine, "We also don't see an increased risk in any pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia, preterm birth, what we call congenital malformations or birth defects. There has not been an increase in this registry."
Dr. Neese said she's encouraging her pregnant patients to get vaccinated because there are concerning side effects that doctors are seeing with pregnant women who catch COVID, "You're supporting another life, so while you're doing that, your immune response is down and you could become very ill."
Not only are women in their second and third trimester more likely to be hospitalized with COVID. It also puts the babies at risk. "So we are seeing an increased rate of preterm birth," said Dr. Neese.
Women spend a majority of their pregnancy avoiding foods that could make them sick and not taking certain medication to protect their developing child.
Dr. Neese acknowledges that getting a vaccine can be scary, "But this vaccine is not alive, it's not going to harm your baby."
She also addressed a claim she wants to debunk that says there's a correlation between the vaccine and fertility, "The COVID-19 vaccine does not affect fertility. Our American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology firmly disputes this claim."
All pregnant women in Kentucky are eligible to get the COVID vaccine under Tier 1C because pregnancy is considered a preexisting condition.