mRNA vaccines don’t appear to pose serious risk during pregnancy

mRNA vaccines don’t appear to pose serious risk during pregnancy

 

The mRNA Covid-19 vaccines made by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna do not appear to pose any serious risk during pregnancy, according to new data published last week in the New England Journal of Medicine.   Pregnant women with Covid-19 are at increased risk for severe illness and may be at increased risk for adverse outcomes, such as preterm birth, according to the CDC. The study, along with existing research showing mRNA vaccines are effective in pregnant and lactating women, suggests that the benefits of the vaccines outweigh the risks.   "Although not directly comparable, calculated proportions of adverse pregnancy and neonatal outcomes in persons vaccinated against Covid-19 who had a completed pregnancy were similar to incidences reported in studies involving pregnant women that were conducted before the Covid-19 pandemic," the researchers wrote.   The study also looked at vaccine side effects during pregnancy. Researchers found the most common side effect from the vaccine was pain at the injection site, which appeared to occur more frequently in vaccine recipients who were pregnant. However, headache, muscle aches, chills and fever were reported less frequently by pregnant people.   The researchers say more long-term studies are needed to assess the safety of the Covid-19 vaccine during pregnancy, and that this research should include follow up with a large population who are vaccinated early in pregnancy.