COVID-19 and Pregnancy

Arizona Department of Health Services sent this bulletin at 02/11/2022 09:00 AM MST
The Conversation

COVID-19 and Pregnancy

In a recent Kaiser Family Foundation study, only 39 percent of those who were pregnant or planning to become pregnant said they were either “very confident” or “somewhat confident” the COVID-19 vaccines are safe for pregnant people. Nearly six in ten (57%) say they are not confident the vaccines are safe for them. These are surprising results given that the CDC, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American College of Nurse-Midwives and American Association of Nurse Practitioners, among other leading medical groups, all strongly recommend the COVID-19 vaccine for those currently, recently or considering pregnancy. 

Healthcare workers are consistently named as those most trusted to address questions about the COVID-19 vaccines.  As home visitors, you can spread the word to people who are pregnant or recently pregnant about the risks from COVID-19.  Although the overall risks are low, people who are pregnant or recently pregnant are at an increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19 when compared to people who are not pregnant. People who have COVID-19 during pregnancy are also at increased risk for preterm birth (delivering the baby earlier than 37 weeks) and stillbirth and might be at increased risk for other pregnancy complications. You can help young families to to protect themselves from getting sick with COVID-19.

CDC provides Resources and tools to help pregnant and recently pregnant people, breastfeeding people and new parents caring for infants protect their health and help people who serve these communities communicate with them. The Public Health Communications Collaborative has just released a set of materials called THE CONVERSATION: About the COVID Vaccines, Pregnancy and Fertility.  It includes 5 Things to Know About the COVID Vaccine and Pregnancy

          1. The COVID Vaccine is Safe in Any Trimester

  1. Your COVID Vaccine Protects Your Baby Too
  2. COVID Increases the Risk of Complicationsin Pregnancy
  3. The COVID Vaccine Does Not Affect Fertility
  4. COVID Vaccine Boosters Increase Protectionin Pregnancy.

Don’t assume the families you serve have this information.  Make sure it is part of your visit to ensure that families stay safe and healthy.