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Apr 23, 2021 - Health

CDC: Pregnant women should get COVID-19 vaccine

headshot
A headshot of CDC director Rochelle Walensky.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky pictured at a House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis hearing on April 15. Photo: by Amr Alfiky-Pool/Getty Images

Federal officials are recommending pregnant women get the COVID-19 vaccine, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walenksy announced at a White House briefing on Friday.

Why it matters: The recommendation clarifies previously conflicting guidance, the Washington Post reports. It also comes on the heels of preliminary CDC findings released this week that said the vaccines appear to be safe for pregnant women.

Details: The preliminary findings published in the New England Journal of Medicine specifically looked at data of more than 35,000 individuals who got either the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines, NPR reported.

  • A smaller study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology last month similarly deemed Pfizer and Moderna vaccines safe and effective for pregnant women.
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