What you need to know when the CDC issues an emergency alert – NBC Chicago

As a disease control prevention center Issue the strongest guidance ever What should pregnant or planning a pregnancy know about available vaccines when encouraging pregnant women to vaccinate with COVID-19?

The latest guidance from health authorities, doctors and other professionals surrounding pregnancy and the COVID vaccine is as follows:

Is it recommended to give pregnant women the COVID vaccine?

Wednesday CDC Issued an alert “Urgent action” is recommended to increase vaccinations for “pregnant people, recently pregnant people (including breastfeeding people), those who are currently pregnant, or who may become pregnant in the future” increase.

“The CDC strongly recommends COVID-19 vaccination either before or during pregnancy because the benefits of vaccination outweigh the known or potential risks,” the warning said.

Pregnant women Pregnancy complications From the coronavirus, there is some evidence that the virus can increase the likelihood of stillbirth..They are also facing Higher chance According to the need for intensive care or mechanical ventilation data From the CDC.

“I think most pregnant people are generally young and healthy, so I don’t think they will get as sick as we see if they get this infection,” said the vice president. Dr. Brenna Hughes said. Chairman of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Duke University. “Until that happens, I’m surprised how few people realize it can happen to them.”

New guidance According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), pregnant women can and should be vaccinated against the coronavirus.

“We are now able to gain experience with vaccines during pregnancy, and there is more evidence of the benefits of vaccines regarding the transfer of antibodies to babies,” said the Immunization Practice Advisory Board. Dr. Linda Eckert, ACOG Liaison, said in August.

Chicago Top Doctor Recently addressed false information surrounding vaccines and pregnancy and childbirthThe data say that protection can be transferred from the mother to the baby.

“Early studies of the CDC have shown that vaccination can give mothers some immunity to their children,” said Dr. Allison Arwadi of the Chicago Public Health Service.

In late april CDC announced that it recommends shots for pregnant women After preliminary data show that the Pfizer and Modana vaccines are safe for women and their babies. Guidance showed that the study found that there was “no clear safety signal” surrounding vaccination of pregnant women.

“Women who are pregnant and infected with COVID have less experience of infection than women who are not pregnant,” said Dr. Anne Schuchat, chief deputy director of the CDC, at a hearing in the US Senate in mid-May. rice field. “More time in the intensive care unit, more risk of serious consequences, including their rare deaths …”

What data do you have about vaccines for pregnant women?

In data released last week, the CDC said in a recent study that COVID vaccination did not increase the risk of miscarriage or birth defects.

The agency tracked 1,613 pregnant women who received it. COVID-19 (New Coronavirus Infection) Dr. Christine Olson, CDC’s medical director, told the authorities’ Immunization Implementation Advisory Committee on Wednesday.

These participants gave birth to 1,634 babies, including 42 twins.

“When we reviewed the currently available registration data, we found no evidence of an increase in spontaneous abortion rates and no evidence of the consequences of a disproportionate negative infant birth,” Olson said.

The 1,613 participants were part of the CDC’s v-safe pregnancy registration with 5,096 registrants as of September 13. As for CDC, 79.4% of registrants are white, 8.4% are Asian, 8.1% are Hispanic, and 1.4% are black. About 65% were between the ages of 25 and 34, and 33% were between the ages of 35 and 44.

Olson cited a CDC study of COVID vaccine-related miscarriage conducted from December 14th to July 19th. This is the usual risk of miscarriage after adjusting the age of the mother.

In addition, the CDC says, modern, Pfizer-BioNTech, Also Johnson & Johnson (J & J) / Janssen The COVID-19 vaccine before or during pregnancy did not raise any safety concerns for pregnant animals or their babies. “

One recently published study September 8th as JAMA’s research letterExamination of more than 105,000 pregnancies showed no difference in miscarriage rates between those who received the vaccine and those who did not.

At the same time, according to the CDC, more than 250,000 COVIDs have been reported in pregnant women, of which 22,000 are hospitalized, providing recent guidance.

A total of 161 pregnant women died of COVID, and 22 died in August alone, according to the CDC. Still, authorities reported that less than one-third of pregnant women were vaccinated.

What should pregnant women consider before vaccination?

The CDC recommends pregnant women who may hesitate to contact their healthcare provider.

Here are some important considerations to discuss:

• Unknown risk of developing a severe allergic reaction
• Benefits of vaccination

The CDC also said that all women under the age of 50 “need to be aware of the rare risk of TTS.” [Thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome]”After vaccination with Johnson & Johnson. This risk was not seen with Pfizer’s Moderna mRNA vaccine,” officials said.

Pregnant women should also consider the risk of becoming infected with COVID-19 as they become more likely to be ill, according to experts.

Are Pregnant Women At Increased Risk of COVID-19 Infection?

The CDC states that pregnant women infected with COVID-19 are “at increased risk of serious illness,” including the risk of infections that can lead to ICU admission, mechanical ventilation, and even death. .. Pregnant people with COVID-19 may also face an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes such as preterm birth, the agency added.

According to the preliminary findings of the study from National Institute of HealthPregnant women who experienced severe symptoms of COVID-19 were at increased risk of complications during and after pregnancy.

“Women infected with COVID are about 1.3 to 1.4 times more likely to be hospitalized during pregnancy than non-pregnant women of the same health and age,” said Mayo Clinic obstetrician Regan. Dr. Tyler said. Said in a statement.

Another 2020 report, From the journal BMJConcluded that pregnant women with this disease were 18 times more likely to enter the ICU and nearly 3 times and 1.5 times more likely to die of the disease than women without COVID-19. Premature birth.

According to the CDC, more than 250,000 COVIDs have been reported in pregnant women, of which 22,000 have been hospitalized.

A total of 161 pregnant women died of COVID, and 22 died in August alone, according to the CDC. Still, authorities reported that less than one-third of pregnant women were vaccinated.

What about the side effects of the vaccine?

According to experts, pregnant women are not expected to experience different or more serious side effects than vaccines.

According to the CDC, some vaccinated people may have a fever, especially after the second vaccination.

“If you experience fever after vaccination, you should take acetaminophen (Tylenol) because fever is associated with adverse effects of pregnancy for some reason,” the CDC website said.

Pregnant people should also consult their doctor if they have a history of allergic reactions to other vaccines or injections.

The CDC also said that all women under the age of 50 “need to be aware of the rare risk of TTS.” [Thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome]”After vaccination with Johnson & Johnson. This risk was not seen with Pfizer’s Moderna mRNA vaccine,” officials said.

What about women who are breastfeeding?

The CDC currently reports that there is “limited data” on breastfeeding women, but early reports indicate that antibodies in breast milk may help protect babies. Said.

According to the CDC, data on the following is limited:

• Safety of COVID-19 vaccine in breastfeeding people
• Effects of vaccination on breast-fed babies
• Impact on milk production or excretion

“The COVID-19 vaccine does not cause infection to anyone, including mothers and babies. The vaccine is effective in preventing COVID-19 in lactating people,” the CDC website said. increase. “Recent reports show that breastfeeding people who have been vaccinated with the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine can help protect their babies because their milk contains antibodies. What these antibodies do to babies? More data is needed to decide whether to provide protection. “

According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, “theoretical concerns about the safety of vaccination of lactating individuals do not outweigh the potential benefits of vaccination.”

“We don’t believe breastfeeding provides antibody protection to babies,” said the University of Chicago School of Medicine.

“But we don’t have any data on this yet, and we need to clarify it in future studies,” said the healthcare group.

Does the COVID vaccine affect childbirth?

A top Chicago doctor said it was “studied” and “had no effect on male or female childbirth.”

“Although research is still underway, there is currently no evidence that vaccines, including the COVID vaccine, cause childbirth problems in women or men,” Arwady tweeted.

According to ACOG, the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine is not believed to increase the risk of infertility.

The CDC said that those who are currently pregnant or want to become pregnant in the future are encouraged to vaccinate with their partners.

“People who are about to become pregnant do not have to avoid becoming pregnant after COVID-19 vaccination,” said the CDC website. “Currently, there is no evidence that vaccines, including the COVID-19 vaccine, are the cause. Fertility problem. Many women are pregnant after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. However, the results of ongoing long-term studies are not yet available. “