The safety of pregnant people and their babies is of utmost importance, yet many
According to the CDC, more than 22,000 pregnant people have been hospitalized due to COVID during the pandemic and 171 have died, due to a 70% increased risk of death from a symptomatic case. While vaccines are an effective method of protection from the virus, 61% of pregnant people remain unaware that the CDC recommends vaccination during pregnancy, according to a new survey by Maven,
Dr. Neel Shah, an OB-GYN and chief medical officer at Maven, views this statistic as a result of misinformation as well as fear for the baby’s well-being. Of the 500 pregnant people surveyed, 32% planned on getting the vaccine as soon as they gave birth.
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“There’s this deeply-seated idea in our society that moms have to put themselves last to put their babies or their families first,” says Shah. “They are concerned about the safety of their babies, so of course they’re hesitant.”
But with the lives of expecting parents and children on the line, it’s vital that pregnant people, partners and even healthcare providers are clear on whether COVID vaccines are safe for all workers. Employee Benefit News spoke with Shah to learn more about the CDC’s recommendation and where misinformation surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine is coming from.
To be clear, should pregnant people get vaccinated?
One of those important things a pregnant person can do to protect themselves and their baby is to get vaccinated against COVID-19. When we're testing new medical technologies, including vaccines, pregnant people are excluded from the study population. So it has taken some time for public health agencies, like the CDC, to say this with clarity, but now they are.
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The truth is, you're much more likely to have a severe form of COVID if you're pregnant. I don't think we fully understand the reasons why, but this is similar to the pattern that we see with the flu and other viruses. When people are pregnant, they are a little bit more suppressed from an immune system standpoint. Not to mention, their lung capacity decreases because they’ve got a baby in the way. All those things can have an impact on your ability to breathe, and then ultimately make you more biologically vulnerable.
Why are so many pregnant people unaware that they should be vaccinated?
The overwhelming majority — 75% of people who are pregnant — haven't gotten vaccinated yet. Nearly four out of five people who are pregnant have been told not to get the vaccine by just about everybody — friends, family and even healthcare providers. Nearly 30% of those surveyed were told not to get vaccinated by healthcare providers.
Generally speaking, the vaccine has become a political flashpoint. There is a little bit of a culture war over the vaccination and how strongly it's being recommended.
As an obstetrician, I'm used to fielding phone calls from other kinds of doctors about what's safe during pregnancy. Even medical professionals are uncertain of what's safe and what's not safe and depend on the expertise of obstetricians.
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This means that messaging is really the most important thing. Number one: we have to meet people where they are and take the time to listen to them about what their concerns are by talking directly to safety for their baby. Number two: pregnant people depend on those around them to know what to do, too. So we have to reach out and make sure this message gets to their partners and healthcare providers.
What else can be done to ensure pregnant people are informed and feel confident in their healthcare choices?
When I think about where our public health system falls short, it's that it is uni-directional. If you’re going in for prenatal care, there's a whole bunch of things to get done on the agenda. Within 15 minutes, as a healthcare provider, you also have to theoretically answer all their questions. Then to go get vaccinated, you have to make another appointment, which is an added step in this brick-and-mortar healthcare system.
That's why Maven is deploying on-demand obstetricians and midwives to connect with patients in real-time and answer their questions surrounding the vaccine, anytime, for free.
From our survey we know that most people who are pregnant do plan on getting vaccinated. They're just waiting until they're not pregnant anymore. I think that signals that at the end of the day, pregnant people are concerned about the safety of their babies.
