safety concerns, bivalent vaccines and more

Key takeaway :

• There are no safety concerns with the COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy and lactation.
• Administration of the bivalent vaccine is recommended along with possible delays if there is a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

BALTIMORE — COVID-19 vaccines are safe and recommended, including for pregnant or lactating women, according to a presenter at a late-breaking session at ACOG’s Annual Clinical and Scientific Meeting.

As of July 2021, ACOG has recommended that all eligible individuals 6 months and older, including pregnant and lactating women, receive a COVID-19 vaccine or series. Studies continue to show that there are no safety concerns associated with COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy and lactation, he noted. Linda O.Eckert, M.D., professor in the division of women’s health in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Washington, Seattle.

“We have a lot of compelling data now on safety. It’s been really encouraging to see how much data has accumulated in the last 2.5 years since we’ve used these vaccines,” Eckert said during the presentation. “It’s important to continue to monitor security and that monitoring is happening, but all the security information we have so far remains extremely reassuring.”

According to Eckert, updates released in March 2023 suggest:

• a single mRNA bivalent vaccine for all unvaccinated women, including pregnant women, and all persons who have fully or partially completed a monovalent vaccine series but have not received a mRNA bivalent vaccine;
• people 6 years and older who are immunocompromised and received a bivalent mRNA vaccine do not require additional COVID-19 vaccinations at this time;
• COVID-19 vaccines can be given along with other vaccines, including influenza and Tdap;
• acetaminophen should be suggested to pregnant women who experience fever after vaccination; and
• Anti-D immune globulin may be given to someone who is planning or has recently received a COVID-19 vaccine.

For women with a history of SARS-CoV-2 infectionthe updates recommend deferring vaccination until after they have recovered from the acute illness, delaying vaccination for 3 months from symptom onset, and considering the SARS-CoV-2 strain when deciding whether to delay vaccination after infection.

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Annual Clinical and Scientific Meeting of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology