An Update on COVID-19 Vaccination and Pregnancy

Abstract

Pregnant women are more prone to experience severe COVID-19 disease, including intensive care unit (ICU) admission, use of invasive ventilation, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), and mortality compared to non-pregnant individuals. Additionally, research suggests that SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy is linked to adverse pregnancy outcomes, such as preterm birth, preeclampsia, and stillbirth, as well as adverse neonatal outcomes, including hospitalization and admission to the neonatal intensive care unit. This review assessed the available literature from November 2021 to 19 March 2023, concerning the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy. COVID-19 vaccination administered during pregnancy is not linked to significant adverse events related to the vaccine or negative obstetric, fetal, or neonatal outcomes. Moreover, the vaccine has the same effectiveness in preventing severe COVID-19 disease in pregnant individuals as in the general population. Additionally, COVID-19 vaccination is the safest and most effective method for pregnant women to protect themselves and their newborns from severe COVID-19 disease, hospitalization, and ICU admission. Thus, vaccination should be recommended for pregnant patients. While the immunogenicity of vaccination in pregnancy appears to be similar to that in the general population, more research is needed to determine the optimal timing of vaccination during pregnancy for the benefit of the neonate.