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Are you pregnant or planning to be soon? Now is the time to make sure you are up-to-date on your COVID-19 vaccines. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have confirmed that COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective for pregnant women.

What the research says

CDC has been keeping track of how the COVID-19 vaccines work in people who are pregnant. They regularly review data from the v-safe COVID-19 Vaccine Pregnancy Registry and other safety monitoring programs. The results show that COVID-19 vaccines are safe, even in the early stages of pregnancy.

That's good news, because COVID-19 is especially risky for pregnant women. They are among those more likely to get severe COVID-19. That means they may need to be in the hospital or need help to breathe. And COVID-19 is linked to preterm birth and other risks to babies as well.

Get the facts

Many pregnant women have been safely vaccinated already. But some may still have questions. Knowing the facts can help you can feel confident that the vaccines are safe during pregnancy.

• Can the shots affect my ability to get pregnant? There is no evidence that COVID-19 vaccines affect fertility.
• Can the shots give me or my baby COVID-19? None of the vaccines contain the virus. This means you cannot catch COVID-19 from your vaccine.
• Does the vaccine raise the risk of miscarriage? Data collected by CDC show that miscarriage rates are no higher among vaccinated women.
• Will the vaccine protect my baby from COVID-19? We are not yet sure. But there is evidence that babies born to vaccinated women may gain some immunity from their mothers.

Still unsure about getting your COVID-19 shot? Talk to your doctor about your concerns. They can help you understand the risks and benefits. And you can make the right choice for you and your baby.

You can find out more about COVID-19 vaccines in our Coronavirus health topic center.

Reviewed 9/17/2022