LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — As the COVID-19 vaccine rollout continues, we're still learning information that can bring up concerns.
One question that many health experts are asked is whether or not pregnant women can receive the vaccine.
The short answer: yes.
But with information overload about the coronavirus and the vaccine, Alisha Morgan, a certified nurse-midwife with Lexington Women's Health, says she gets questions daily from pregnant women about if the vaccine is safe for them and their unborn baby.
“I have this conversation with patients actually several times a day,” said Morgan.
Morgan says pregnancy itself shouldn't deter people from getting vaccinated, but it's important to talk with your doctor about any issues that could prevent it, like an underlying medical condition or allergy. While research is still being done, the CDC says based on how mRNA vaccines work, experts believe they don't pose a specific risk for pregnant women.
“Instead of giving a woman or any person who receives the vaccine an actual small, inactivated dose of a bacteria or cell or any kind of a germ, it actually goes into the system and it causes a woman's own immune system to build a protein that's going to help fight of COVID,” said Morgan. “It's going to recognize that and build antibodies. So, this isn't a vaccine that's going to change anyone's DNA.”
As for women who are planning to be pregnant soon, Morgan says at this point, there is no evidence the vaccine has a negative impact on fertility. She says if you become pregnant after getting the first dose, you should continue to get the second dose.
