Hear what specialists in maternal medicine and an expectant mother have to say about the COVID-19 vaccine.
We’ve heard concerns about the vaccine from many people who are expecting or planning to have a baby in the future. We developed a series of three posts that dive deep into these concerns. The posts, together, contain dozens of links to credible, reliable information from medical experts. If you have additional questions or concerns, please talk to your healthcare provider.
Are COVID-19 vaccines linked to infertility or miscarriage?
NO. While it’s true that pregnant women were not enrolled in the original clinical trials, thousands of women have received the vaccine while they were pregnant or have become pregnant after getting the vaccine. Data shows that COVID-19 vaccines have not caused infertility, miscarriage, or complications with pregnancy or delivery for either the mother or baby.
However, many pregnant women who have gotten the COVID-19 virus during pregnancy have had serious complications caused by the virus. Pregnant women are at an increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19 because their immune response is not as high. A few studies and reputable sources on this can be found here, here, here, and here.
If you are pregnant and have questions about the COVID-19 vaccine
If you would like to speak to someone about COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy, please contact MotherToBaby. MotherToBaby experts are available to answer questions in English or Spanish by phone, text, or chat. The free and confidential service is available Monday–Friday 8am–5pm (local time). To reach MotherToBaby:
- Call 1-800-822-2229 or 801-328-2229
- Text 855-999-3525
- Chat live
- Email MotherToBaby at expertinfo@mothertobaby.org
The good news about breakthrough cases: The COVID-19 vaccines work
A small number of people who are vaccinated will still test positive for COVID-19. These are called “breakthrough cases.” This is to be expected. No vaccine is 100% effective but it’s important to keep in mind that the vast majority of “breakthrough cases” don’t have any symptoms of COVID-19 or very mild symptoms. This means that vaccines are still successful and are doing their job of keeping people from getting seriously ill.
The COVID-19 vaccine is extraordinarily effective at preventing serious illness in people who get sick with COVID-19. A growing body of evidence suggests that people who are fully vaccinated are less likely to have asymptomatic infection or transmit COVID-19 to others.
The most important thing you can do is get BOTH doses of your vaccine (for Pfizer and Moderna) and take precautions, like wearing a mask around other people, until you’re fully vaccinated. Fully vaccinated means it’s been 2 weeks since your final dose. For Pfizer and Moderna, that’s 2 weeks after your 2nd dose. For Johnson & Johnson, it’s 2 weeks after your first and only dose.
Learn more about breakthrough cases