ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — AdventHealth doctors want expectant parents to know it is safe for women to be vaccinated during any trimester of their pregnancy.
Across the country, more than 69,000 pregnant women have been vaccinated.
“Since mid-December, I’ve seen countless doctors and nurses who are pregnant get vaccinated in pregnancy,” said Dr. Rachel Humphrey with AdventHealth’s maternal-fetal medicine program. “We have not seen any complications in our many pregnant women who’ve gotten these vaccines.”
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When it comes to getting COVID-19, Dr. Humphrey said pregnant women are five times more likely to end up in the hospital than a woman of the same age and health who isn’t pregnant.
“(They’re) about twice as likely to end up in the ICU or on a ventilator compared to a non-pregnant woman,” Humphrey said, adding that when a woman is really sick with COVID-19, it can force her body into labor.
“So we’re looking at babies being born premature, and that could have life-long consequences,” Humphrey said.
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Humphrey said she recommends pregnant women get either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines because they’ve been out since last year, and the vast majority of research, studies and experience comes from them.
Doctors said women vaccinated while breastfeeding can also pass immunity onto their child.
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Cox Media Group
