The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released an urgent recommendation on Wednesday strongly encouraging pregnant women, and women who are lactating, to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

The guidance clarifies that the benefits of getting the COVID vaccine outweigh the risks, as pregnant women who contract the virus are at increased risk of adverse pregnancy, preterm birth, stillbirth and admission of their newborns to an intensive care unit.

With the rise of the Delta variant, pregnant women have become hit with COVID at a new alarming rate and hospitals have been reporting a dramatic spike of critically ill pregnant women who have contracted COVID-19.

As of Sept. 27, more than 125,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases have been reported in pregnant people, including more than 22,000 hospitalized cases and 161 deaths, the CDC reported.

Of the pregnant people hospitalized with COVID, 97% were unvaccinated.

“I strongly encourage those who are pregnant or considering pregnancy to talk with their health care provider about the protective benefits of the Covid-19 vaccine to keep their babies and themselves safe,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said in a statement.

Despite all the risk, less than a third of pregnant women are vaccinated.

Dr. Dana Meaney Delman, the CDC's lead on maternal immunization, told the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices last week that "we now see increased numbers of pregnant people admitted to the ICU in July and August" and now in September.

"The deaths reported in August is the highest number of deaths reported in any month since the start of the pandemic," Delman added.

CDC health officials said COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy are “safe and effective and have no adverse events to mom or to a baby."

“If you are pregnant, postpartum, breastfeeding, trying to get pregnant now or might become pregnant in the future, please get vaccinated," Delman said.

RELATED STORIES
Coronavirus