Although pregnant people have a higher risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19, only 31 percent of pregnant people were vaccinated as of Sept. 18, prompting the CDC to issue a health advisory Sept. 29.
The agency "recommends urgent action to increase [COVID-19] vaccination among people who are pregnant, recently pregnant (including those who are lactating), who are trying to become pregnant now, or who might become pregnant in the future," the advisory said.
It also calls on health departments and providers to increase their outreach efforts in educating this population on the benefits of vaccination.
More than 125,000 COVID-19 cases among pregnant patients were reported as of Sept. 27, including 22,000 hospitalizations and 161 deaths, the advisory stated.
Research has shown that compared to people who aren't pregnant, symptomatic COVID-19 patients who are pregnant are at increased risk of severe outcomes related to COVID-19 infection, including admission to the intensive care unit and a 70 percent increased death risk. Pregnant COVID-19 patients are also at a higher risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes, such as preterm birth, stillbirth, and an infected newborn requiring ICU care.
There is currently no evidence COVID-19 vaccines cause adverse pregnancy-related outcomes or infertility, according to CDC data.