You probably already know how critical it is for pregnant women to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Pregnant women are at increased risk of developing severe complications from COVID-19, including needing to be admitted to intensive care, requiring a ventilator and even dying.
Having COVID-19 during pregnancy also raises the risk for preterm birth and other complications, including pregnancy loss.
Vaccination is the most effective form of protection against COVID-19, and leading experts have said that the various COVID-19 vaccines developed are safe and effective for pregnant and breastfeeding women, as well as anyone who hopes to get pregnant in the future.[1]
However, many pregnant women are still not getting vaccinated, which is why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended "urgent action" to increase COVID-19 vaccination among moms-to-be.
In addition to strongly urging all pregnant women to get their initial COVID-19 vaccines, the CDC and other major medical organizations also recommended that everyone ages 6 months and older who have already been immunized get a booster shot.
Here's what you need to know.
Can you get a COVID-19 booster shot if you're pregnant?
Yes, moms-to-be are eligible for and encouraged to get a COVID-19 booster vaccine. However as of April 2023, the FDA and the CDC announced they're phasing out the original monovalent vaccines (including the boosters) and replacing them with their updated bivalent (targeting multiple strains) counterparts.[2]
The bivalent vaccines were originally available as booster shots and specifically targeted BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants, which at one stage accounted for more than 90 percent of cases.
These multi-strain Omicron boosters were approved for emergency use authorization by the FDA in August 2022, after which they got the green light from the CDC and became available in the U.S. Kids ages 6 months and older and adults can get both the one made by Pfizer and the Moderna version.
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Originally, people could get one shot of the updated vaccine at least two months after primary or booster vaccination. These new bivalent vaccines contain two mRNA components of COVID-19, one of the original strain of the virus and the other one in common between the BA.4 and BA.5 lineages of the Omicron variant, according to the FDA.
But as of spring 2023, those bivalent vaccines will be the only ones available and recommended for use in the U.S., with the original monovalent vaccines being phased out and no longer recommended. Most people are only eligible for one dose, but those 65 and older as well as the immunocompromised can get two doses.
The CDC’s previous guidelines for booster shot timetables depended on which vaccine you've received:
- Pfizer-BioNtech: Five months after completing the primary vaccination series.
- Moderna: Five months after completing the primary vaccination series.
- Johnson & Johnson: Two months after receiving the vaccination.
The CDC also previously authorized the Novavax vaccine, but not as a booster.
Regardless of which vaccine you got initially, the CDC recommended an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine booster shot (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) over the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in most situations. However, for those who would only get a booster shot if they were able to take the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and for those who had a severe reaction to an mRNA vaccine in the past, the CDC said the Johnson & Johnson vaccine could have been used as a booster shot.
Experts note that it's also critical to get your flu shot during pregnancy. Pregnant patients should know that they can receive their flu and COVID-19 vaccines (either initial dose or booster) on the same day or within the same period.
Can pregnant women get the updated bivalent Omicron shot?
The latest COVID-19 bivalent vaccines target the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants, and had to go through the same vetting process as the original COVID-19 vaccines. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the new vaccines made by Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech, and they were then recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and CDC director Rochelle Walensky, M.D.
“The updated COVID-19 boosters are formulated to better protect against the most recently circulating COVID-19 variant,” Dr. Walensky said in a press release. “They can help restore protection that has waned since previous vaccination and were designed to provide broader protection against newer variants. This recommendation followed a comprehensive scientific evaluation and robust scientific discussion. If you are eligible, there is no bad time to get your COVID-19 booster and I strongly encourage you to receive it.”
The CDC didn’t use specific language for pregnant women but “nothing changes with the recommendations,” says Thomas Russo, M.D., professor and chief of infectious disease at the University at Buffalo in New York. “The safety data for the booster is really based on our prior experience, where there have been billions of shots in arms with the mRNA vaccine,” he says. “The benefits to pregnant women are significant.”
The updated bivalent shots, like their one-strain counterparts, are very safe for pregnant women, he said.
"The safety profile should be outstanding,” says Dr. Russo.
When should pregnant women get their booster shots?
Whether you've been vaccinated with the original shots or never vaccinated, you should get the updated multi-strain vaccine as soon as possible, according to the CDC and other experts.
Why is it so important to get a COVID-19 vaccine if you're eligible?
The best way to protect yourself and your unborn baby from COVID-19 is by getting vaccinated. That’s why the CDC, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) all strongly recommend that those who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant get immunized against COVID-19.
Vaccines help the body build up immunity against the virus that causes COVID-19, so if you face the actual virus in the future, your body will know how to fight it off more effectively. If you're vaccinated, not only are you much less likely to develop COVID-19, but you're more likely to experience mild symptoms from a breakthrough infection.
What's more, the vaccine may also help protect your newborn from COVID-19 during the first months of life. Some research has found that the antibodies made after pregnant women received an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine were also found in their breast milk, and a large Norweigan study published in June 2022 found that newborns were less likely to test positive for COVID-19 if their mothers were vaccinated while pregnant.
However, as is the case with many other vaccines, the COVID-19 vaccine's protection may start to lessen over time. That’s why the CDC first approved a monovalent booster shot for all adults, including pregnant women, and children, and later approved the bivalent booster for everyone 6 months and older.
Not only will the booster give you added protection during pregnancy, it may help keep you safer in the early postpartum period. Pregnant women remain at higher risk for complications for at least 42 days after giving birth, the CDC notes.
Emerging research shows that babies may benefit from protective antibodies from their vaccinated moms in utero that could extend after birth. So the shot doesn't just keep you and baby safe while you're pregnant — it could also offer additional benefits for your little one after she's born.
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