A detailed review of several studies involving around 65,000 pregnancies at different stages did not find any sign of an increased risk of pregnancy complications, miscarriages, preterm births or adverse effects in the unborn babies following mRNA COVID-19 vaccination.
Quite the opposite, studies have shown that COVID-19 vaccines are as effective at reducing the risk of hospitalisation and deaths in pregnant people as they are in non-pregnant people. The most common side effects of the vaccines in pregnant people also match those in the overall vaccinated population.
Given that so far pregnancy has been associated with a higher risk of severe COVID-19 particularly in the second and third trimesters, people who are pregnant or might become pregnant in the near future are encouraged to get vaccinated in line with national recommendations.
Most of the information so far has come from mRNA vaccines (Comirnaty and Spikevax). EMA will also review data for other authorised COVID-19 vaccines as they become available.
Vaccination remains a major pillar of the response to COVID-19, particularly as variants of the virus continue to spread in EU/EEA countries. EMA’s COVID-19 task force (ETF) highlights the growing evidence indicating that mRNA COVID-19 vaccines do not cause pregnancy complications for expectant mothers and their babies.
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