COVID-19 Vaccination for Pregnant Women

high among pregnant women,

and the CDC has reported that

vaccination rates are really low

compared to the general population among pregnant women.

And of course, we all understand pregnancy

and worry go together, right?

But I'm still hoping you can explain

to concerned moms and dads-to-be

and as a father yourself,

why you are so confident that

the vaccine is safe and effective to get

when you're pregnant,

and why should moms not worry so much?

Well, even though this is an issue

and a problem that all of us,

including myself, when my wife was pregnant with my three daughters,

I got nervous about everything.

I'm sure you did.

You know, even as an informed physician,

I was always concerned about anything

that could have a deleterious effect on my pregnant wife,

as well as on our soon-to-be-born baby.

So that's totally understandable.

But the best way to explain that

is to look at the facts that are really well known.

And you balance these facts about risk versus benefit.

The overwhelming balance of risk-benefit

is in favor of pregnant women getting vaccinated against COVID-19.

And the reason for that is,

look at what we know for sure.

What we know for sure,

that if a pregnant woman gets infected and gets COVID-19,

there are serious consequences

for the pregnant woman herself,

for the pregnancy, and for the fetus.

If you look at it, preterm births,

all kinds of complications that are exacerbated in a pregnant woman.

Then you ask the question,

well, are the vaccines safe?

And if you look at the literally,

literally tens and tens and tens of thousands of women

who have been followed by the CDC,

who were vaccinated when they were pregnant,

there's no indication whatsoever

that there's any increase of any adverse issues

in a pregnant woman who was vaccinated compared

to a pregnant woman who wasn't vaccinated.

And we all know