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Yale study: COVID-19 vaccine does not increase risk of pregnancy complications

Hartford Courant - 1/4/2022

COVID-19 vaccines do not increase the risk of pregnancy complications such as preterm birth, a new study from the Yale School of Medicine and others has found.

According to the study, vaccination during pregnancy did not increase the chance of an early birth or of a newborn being small-for-gestational-age, regardless of the trimester during which someone was vaccinated.

The study, whose findings were reported Tuesday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, looked at more than 40,000 pregnancies using data from eight health care organizations nationwide.

The study’s researchers say the findings should provide reassurance to those who are concerned about risks to their unborn children from vaccination.

“Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 is important for preventing severe illness in pregnant people,” Heather Lipkind, a Yale associate profession and lead author on the study said in a statement. “With the increasing rates of COVID-19 in our community we are encouraging pregnant people to get vaccinated.”

According to the CDC, pregnancies present an increased risk of severe COVID-19 infection. Those who are pregnant who have COVID-19 are also at higher risk of preterm birth and stillbirth.

Alex Putterman can be reached at aputterman@courant.com.

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