Federal health officials increased Wednesday their recommendation for pregnant women to be vaccinated against Covid-19. They cited new safety data which showed no increase in miscarriage risk among those who had been immunized within the first 20 weeks.Research from earlier years found similar reassuring results for women who were vaccinated in later stages of pregnancy.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had previously stated that the vaccine could not be given during pregnancy. However, the latest guidance reinforces this official advice and urges pregnant women to get immunized.C.D.C.'s new guidance is now effective. The new guidance is in line with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynologists' recommendations and other medical specialty groups that strongly recommend vaccination.The benefits of vaccination and the known risks of Covid in pregnancy and high rates of transmission at this point outweigh any theoretical risk of the vaccine, according to Sascha R. Elliott, an epidemiologist who heads the emergency response team for the division of reproductive healthcare at the C.D.C.
