October 08, 2021
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In an urgent health consultation on September 29, the CDC strongly recommended that pregnant women who were recently pregnant, who are trying to become pregnant, or who may become pregnant in the future, get vaccinated against COVID-19.
Healio spoke to Nora Colburn, MD, an infectious disease specialist at Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center and assistant professor at Ohio State University College of Medicine to learn more about the CDC’s recommendation and how doctors treating these women can encourage them to get vaccinated.
Healio: What prompted the CDC to make these recommendations?
Nora Colburn
Colburn: As of September 27, more than 125,000 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases have been reported in pregnant women, including more than 22,000 hospital cases and 161 deaths. The highest number of COVID-19-related deaths among pregnant women (n = 22) in a single month of the pandemic was reported in August. Data from the COVID-19-Associated Hospitalization Surveillance Network (COVID-NET) for 2021 shows that approximately 97% of pregnant people hospitalized (for either illness or labor and delivery) with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection were not vaccinated. On September 18, only 31% of pregnant women were fully vaccinated.
Healio: Why are these recommendations necessary?
Colburn: Pregnant women are at high risk of developing serious illness from COVID-19, putting them at risk for ICU admissions, ventilation, and death. Vaccination is absolutely the best way to avoid serious illness, hospitalization, and death.
Healio: What are the specific risks of COVID-19 for pregnant women? and after childbirth Women?
Colburn: In addition to the risks of serious illness and death, there is an increased risk of serious adverse pregnancy and neonatal outcomes. This includes premature birth and the admission of the baby to a neonatal intensive care unit. If a baby is born prematurely, the premature birth can have serious, long-lasting health consequences. Other undesirable pregnancy outcomes, such as stillbirths, have been reported.
Healio: Have you experienced vaccination hesitation in your own patients? who are pregnant or who is planning to get pregnant? If so, why did you say you are hesitant?
Colburn: I have seen hesitant vaccination in many patients, including pregnant and postpartum women. During pregnancy, women must avoid certain drugs and foods to avoid serious infections in themselves or in the fetus. It is understandable to take a break to make sure a drug or vaccination is safe. Many patients do not know all of the published data on the safety and efficacy details of the vaccines. There is also a tremendous amount of misinformation on social media and the internet about the severity of COVID-19 and the vaccines.
Healio: What common myths did you see related to the vaccine and pregnancy?
Colburn: A common myth circulating on the internet is about infertility. This is an incredibly gruesome rumor that addresses many people’s natural fear of not getting pregnant in the future. There is absolutely no evidence that any vaccine, including the COVID-19 vaccines, causes infertility.
Healio: How are you responding to these concerns?
Colburn: First, I listen carefully to the concerns and questions of my patients with empathy and without judgment. After identifying your questions and concerns, I will answer you truthfully and point you to the high quality published data in an easy-to-understand manner. The vaccine protects the mother’s health, but also the baby’s health. Women can pass protective antibodies on to their babies through the placenta and breast milk if they are vaccinated.
I also try to make the conversation very personal. When speaking to pregnant women, I often share that I was pregnant during the pandemic and understand their concerns about trying to protect their baby, especially at such a scary and turbulent time. The vaccine wasn’t available when I was pregnant, but I wish I could have been vaccinated then so that I could have passed protective antibodies on to my baby. I also share that I am fully vaccinated, my family is fully vaccinated and when my young son is old enough he will be vaccinated.
Healio: Now that these recommendations have been published, what can doctors do to encourage more women to get vaccinated?
Colburn: Doctors should speak to their patients at each visit and ask them to get vaccinated. We need to be trusted sources of information for our patients and we need to tackle the vast amount of misinformation on the internet. The CDC has several resources on its website designed to help doctors deal with vaccination myths and encourage their patients to get vaccinated. The CDC and many professional societies such as the Infectious Diseases Society of America have resources on their websites on how to talk to patients about the COVID-19 vaccine.
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