The COVID-19 Vaccine Is Safe — and Effective — for Moms and Moms to Be

When it comes to the health and happiness of her child, a mom questions everything. Especially in the first few years. The more a mom knows, the better she can protect her child and provide proper nurturing — from the moment she is pregnant until her baby is born and through early childhood. So it’s understandable that when the health care community began to encourage people to get the COVID-19 vaccine, nursing moms and moms to be had a lot of questions. Could my baby get COVID-19 from the vaccine while I’m pregnant? Will the vaccine make my baby sick if I am nursing? Will the vaccine make me sick and complicate my pregnancy? If I get the vaccine, will it benefit my baby? Will the vaccine make it hard for me to get pregnant later on?

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Have other questions or concerns about pregnancy and the COVID-19 vaccine?

Dr. Janice E. Tildon-Burton from the obstetrics and gynecology team at Christiana Care, hits on more key points in the video above. From primary benefits and safety to fertility and getting a vaccine booster, Dr. Tildon-Burton’s expertise can mean even greater peace of mind.

We applaud the women raising these important questions — and we support them in making the best decision for themselves and their baby. Below are important facts about the COVID-19 vaccine’s safety and effectiveness for pregnant and breastfeeding women, as well as for women who plan on becoming pregnant.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and leading OB-GYN organizations recommend you get the COVID-19 vaccine if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, currently trying to get pregnant, or considering getting pregnant one day. The vaccine is the best way to protect yourself from getting severely sick and possibly hospitalized from COVID-19. This becomes even more important for women who are pregnant, because they are at greater risk of serious illness or hospitalization due to the virus.

The COVID-19 vaccine is safe for you and your baby. The vaccine cannot make you or your baby sick with COVID-19. In addition, there is no evidence that the vaccine causes problems during pregnancy, increased risk of miscarriage, loss of fertility, or different side effects in pregnant women compared with others who have been vaccinated.

The COVID-19 vaccine benefits you and your baby. By protecting your health, the COVID-19 vaccine protects your baby! The benefits of getting the vaccine outweigh any known or potential risks of vaccination during pregnancy. For example, if a person is pregnant and gets COVID-19, she is at an increased risk of preterm birth and other poor pregnancy outcomes. The vaccine can also protect your baby if you are nursing, because antibodies can be passed on through breast milk.

Visit de.gov/covidvaccine or call 1-833-643-1715 to find out where you or a loved one can get a free COVID-19 vaccine by appointment or walk-in. Based on monitoring conducted by the CDC and other federal partners, over one hundred thousand pregnant women have gotten the COVID-19 vaccine, with no identified safety issues.¹ Also, according to the CDC there is currently no evidence that the vaccine causes a loss of fertility. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning to become pregnant one day — or love someone who is — remember that getting the COVID-19 vaccine protects the health of the mother and baby, then schedule your appointment today.

We also encourage you to print this COVID-19 vaccine fact sheet and keep it handy for easy reference when helping mothers and expectant mothers you know make the best decision for their families. You can also view these short videos and hear first hand from respected OB-GYN’s why they recommend the COVID-19 vaccine for their patients.

¹ Source: Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, 2021