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Vaccination During Pregnancy Safe and Effective

Sep 25, 2023

Vaccination safe for Pregnancy

Three and a half years since COVID-19 first emerged in Canada, what do we know about getting vaccinated while pregnant?

An article posted this week in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) reaffirms that vaccination during pregnancy is safe, effective and essential, with both pregnant people and the children they carry at risk of severe outcomes if they catch the virus.

The article laid out the most up-to-date medical understanding of the virus during pregnancy, as well as recommendations for receiving a vaccination while pregnant.

“All mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccines approved for use in Canada are recommended during pregnancy,” the article states in its final point.

RISK TO MOTHER, UNBORN INFANT

The first points of the article addressed the increased danger that COVID-19 poses to a pregnant person and to their unborn infants.

The article cited a 2021-22 observational study, which found that contracting COVID-19 during pregnancy increased the risk of serious illness and death for the pregnant patient. The study in question followed 4,618 pregnant women across 41 hospitals in 18 countries, 33 per cent of whom had a COVID-19 diagnosis at some point during their pregnancy.

They found that COVID-19 in pregnancy increased the risk of severe complications or death for the mother, with more symptomatic cases causing a higher risk.

This increased risk was seen especially among unvaccinated women – vaccination was effective in preventing severe complications, including admission to an intensive care unit (ICU) or the death of the mother.

Read more about Pregnancy and the Vaccine on the CTV News Website: Click Here