COVID-19 Vaccines: Answers From Ob-Gyns

COVID-19 is an illness that affects the lungs and breathing. It is caused by a coronavirus. Symptoms may include fever, cough, sore throat, and congestion. Other symptoms are possible too. Symptoms may appear 2 to 14 days after you are exposed to the virus.

You may have no symptoms, mild symptoms, or severe symptoms. Symptoms may vary with new COVID-19 variants and may also vary based on your vaccination status.

Yes, medical experts strongly encourage vaccination for everyone 6 months and older. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends vaccination if you are pregnant, postpartum, breastfeeding, or planning a pregnancy. Find out how to get a COVID-19 vaccine near you through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.

For information about vaccines for children 11 and under, visit the American Academy of Pediatrics website healthychildren.org.

Yes, studies have shown that COVID-19 vaccines are safe and highly effective. The COVID-19 vaccines can prevent infection, severe illness, and death from COVID-19, including from new variants.

Before vaccines are given to the public, vaccines go through many testing and review steps. The COVID-19 vaccines meet strict safety standards required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). More than 270 million people in the United States have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose.

There are three COVID-19 vaccines in the United States: Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax. Updated versions of the vaccines protect against the latest coronavirus variant. Learn more from the CDC about the different vaccines.

Yes, an updated vaccine is recommended for everyone 6 months and older, including anyone who is pregnant, postpartum, or breastfeeding. Learn more from the CDC about current vaccine recommendations.

It’s common to feel side effects after getting a COVID-19 vaccine. There are different types of COVID-19 vaccines that have varying side effects. Side effects also vary from person to person. Some vaccines may make you feel like you have the flu for a few days. This is normal. It’s also normal to have short-term arm pain in the area where you got the shot.

If you have a fever or other side effects after getting the vaccine, you can take over-the-counter (OTC) pain relief medication. If you are pregnant, the OTC medication acetaminophen is safe to take during pregnancy.

If you are worried about your side effects or they last more than a few days, talk with your health care professional.

Yes, you still need a vaccine even if you have had COVID-19 in the past. There is no way to tell how protected you are from COVID-19 after infection. Your level of protection may vary based on how severe your illness was, how long it has been since you were sick, and how old you are.

Research shows that the COVID-19 vaccine gives more protection against future illness than the protection you might have after getting the virus. Getting a COVID-19 vaccine may help prevent you from getting COVID-19 again.

Vaccination may also strengthen your protection against severe illness and long COVID. Long COVID can cause chronic pain, brain fog, shortness of breath, chronic fatigue, and other symptoms that last for weeks, month, or even years.

Yes, you should get a COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy. ACOG strongly recommends that all pregnant women stay up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines. Getting a vaccine could help both you and your fetus.

Remember that during pregnancy, you have a higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19 than people who aren't pregnant. The vaccines are very effective at preventing infection, severe illness, and death from COVID-19.

When you get vaccinated, the antibodies made by your body may be passed to your fetus. These antibodies may help protect your baby from the virus after birth. How much protection your antibodies may provide is not yet known.

Yes, research confirms that COVID-19 vaccines are safe during pregnancy. Scientists have compared the pregnancies of women who have received COVID-19 vaccines and women who have not. The reports show that these women have had similar pregnancy outcomes. Data do not show any safety concerns.

If you are pregnant and want to know more about the vaccines, you can talk with your obstetrician–gynecologist (ob-gyn). This conversation is not required to get a vaccine, though it may be helpful.

Learn more from the CDC about COVID-19 vaccines, pregnancy, and breastfeeding.

Yes, ACOG strongly recommends that breastfeeding women stay up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines. Breastfeeding after vaccination is safe for the baby. There is no need to stop breastfeeding if you want to get a vaccine. When you get vaccinated, the antibodies made by your body may be passed through breast milk and may help protect your child from the virus.

Yes, if you are planning or trying to get pregnant, you should stay up to date on your COVID-19 vaccines. There is no evidence that the COVID-19 vaccines cause infertility, and a growing amount of data confirms this. You also do not need to delay getting pregnant after you get a vaccine.

Learn more from the CDC about COVID-19 vaccines for people who would like to have a baby.

A study of nearly 4,000 people found there was a very small, temporary change in menstrual cycle length after vaccination. Periods were late by less than 1 day on average and returned to normal within 1 or 2 months. Another study of nearly 10,000 people found a small increase in the chances of heavier bleeding after the first vaccine dose. This returned to normal with the next menstrual period.

Menstrual cycles often change a small amount from month to month. Temporary changes can be caused by many factors, including stress, lifestyle changes, and some underlying health conditions. Small changes in cycle length and the amount of bleeding are normal and do not affect health or fertility.

More research is needed on this topic and in more diverse groups of people, but the results of this study are reassuring. This is good evidence that any effect of the COVID-19 vaccines on periods is temporary, small, and no cause for concern.

Yes, you can get a COVID-19 vaccine while you have your menstrual period. There is no need to reschedule.

There have been reports of COVID-19 vaccines causing swollen lymph nodes in underarms. This is a temporary side effect, but the swelling can make mammograms hard to read correctly. Because of this side effect, routine mammograms may be postponed for 4 to 6 weeks after you get a COVID-19 vaccine.

If you have any problems with your breasts or if you are at high risk for breast cancer, you should not delay your mammogram. If you do have a mammogram fewer than 4 to 6 weeks after getting a COVID-19 vaccine, tell the health care staff when you got your vaccine, which type of vaccine you had, and which arm the shot went in.

Remember, breast cancer screening is important health care that you should not skip. Read Mammography and Other Screening Tests for Breast Problems to learn more.

There have been rare reports of temporary inflammation in or around the heart muscle after vaccination with the Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax vaccines. These conditions are called myocarditis and pericarditis. These cases have been seen mostly in male teens and young adults. Most patients do well with treatment and quickly feel better.

The risk of illness and death from COVID-19 is far greater than the rare risks of myocarditis and pericarditis. The CDC continues to recommend everyone 6 months and older get a COVID-19 vaccine.

COVID-19 vaccines work in different ways, and all of them are proven to be safe. It is important to know that:

• The vaccines cannot give you COVID-19. None of the vaccines uses the live virus that causes COVID-19.

• The vaccines do not affect your genes or DNA.

• There is no evidence that the COVID-19 vaccines cause infertility. ACOG recommends vaccination for anyone who may consider getting pregnant in the future.

Visit the CDC website for the latest information on COVID-19 vaccines.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines
Learn about the vaccines that can protect you from COVID-19:

• COVID-19 Vaccines While Pregnant or Breastfeeding

• COVID-19 Vaccines for People Who Would Like to Have a Baby

• Vaccine Safety and Monitoring

• How CDC Monitors Vaccine Effectiveness

Vaccines.gov
www.vaccines.gov
Find a COVID-19 vaccine near you.

MotherToBaby: Ask an Expert
https://mothertobaby.org/ask-an-expert
Evidence-based information on the safety of medications and vaccines during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. U.S. and Canada residents can submit questions via email or phone call.

Antibodies: Proteins in the blood that the body makes in reaction to foreign substances, such as bacteria and viruses.

Fetus: The stage of human development beyond 8 completed weeks after fertilization.

Infertility: The inability to get pregnant after 1 year of having regular sexual intercourse without the use of birth control.

Menstrual Cycle: The monthly process of changes that occur to prepare a woman’s body for possible pregnancy. A menstrual cycle is defined as the first day of menstrual bleeding of one cycle to the first day of menstrual bleeding of the next cycle.

Menstrual Period: The monthly shedding of blood and tissue from the uterus.

Obstetrician–Gynecologist (Ob-Gyn): A doctor with special training and education in women’s health.