COVID-19 in pregnancy causes an increased risk of pre-term labor, Cesarean section and death. When the vaccine first came out, pregnant people were advised against it. However, that has changed.
Dr. Brooke Kyle is an obstetrician-gynecologist in Eugene/Springfield. She’s distraught over the high incidence of hospitalization of pregnant people with COVID-19. Kyle strongly encourages her expectant patients to get the shot.
“What COVID does is it infects the placenta with all these little clots, all these little thromboses, and those prevent the blood flow from being able to get to the baby. What the vaccine does is it allows your body to be able to recognize the spike protein of the coronavirus in your body so that it can develop an immune response to it.”
Kyle said there is an added benefit to vaccination while pregnant: The antibodies that are built after immunization can help protect the baby.
For more information on COVID-19 vaccination while pregnant and breast feeding, read this.