New UW study says pregnant and breastfeeding women do well with the COVID vaccine

SEATTLE — A new study from the University of Washington showed that pregnant and breastfeeding women handle the COVID-19 vaccine as well as their non-pregnant counterparts.

The study, published in JAMA Network Open, showed that in the survey of more than 17,000 people there were no increased reactions beyond what is expected from a vaccine.

“Pregnant people do well with the vaccine,” said lead author Dr. Alisa Kachikis.

These findings come a week after the CDC formally recommended that all pregnant woman get vaccinated against the virus.

According to the CDC, only 23% of pregnant women in the U.S. were vaccinated at the end of July. The percentage is even lower among Black and Latina women, the data said.

“Not only is the vaccine safe, our research shows just how well the vaccine is tolerated in pregnant individuals—which is a common fear I hear from my patients. In contrast, we are continuing to learn more and more about just how dangerous COVID-19 infections are in pregnancy,” said Dr. Linda Eckert, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Washington School of Medicine and the study’s senior author.

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