Are COVID-19 vaccines recommended during pregnancy?

Yes. COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for all people who are not up to date, including those who are pregnant or lactating. Pregnant people are at increased risk of severe complications and death from COVID-19 compared to non-pregnant people of the same age. Those who contract COVID-19 during pregnancy also have almost twice the risk of stillbirth compared to those who do not contract COVID-19 during pregnancy. Studies have shown that antibodies produced after COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy are transferred to the newborn, and COVID-19 vaccination of people who are pregnant reduces the risk of COVID-19 hospitalization in infants younger than 6 months. Pregnant people should receive any licensed or authorized updated 2023–2024 Formula COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy, as licensed or authorized by FDA.

There is no recommendation from CDC for COVID-19 vaccination during every pregnancy; therefore, at this time, a person who is up to date on COVID-19 vaccination and becomes pregnant is not recommended to get an additional dose.

CDC, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) all recommend vaccination, when indicated, of pregnant people at any stage of pregnancy.

For more details about COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy, visit CDC’s webpage, “COVID-19 Vaccines while Pregnant or Breastfeeding”: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/recommendations/pregnancy.html.