COVID-19 Vaccination for Women Who Are Pregnant or Breastfeeding

What to know

  • The 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccine recommendations were updated for people ages 6 months and older. They are now based on individual decision making, which emphasizes considering the benefits and risks of vaccination.
  • COVID-19 vaccination offers the greatest benefit if you are at higher risk for severe illness, including if you are pregnant. Pregnancy increases your risk of becoming very sick from COVID-19.
  • If you get sick with COVID-19 during pregnancy, you are at increased risk of complications that can affect your health and the health of your baby.
  • COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy has not been linked to increased health risks for pregnant women or babies. It helps reduce the risk for severe illness from COVID-19.
  • COVID-19 vaccines are not associated with fertility problems in women or men.
Pregnant women holding belly

Recommendations during and after pregnancy

The 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccination recommendations were updated for people ages 6 months and older. They are now based on individual decision making, which emphasizes considering the benefits and risks of vaccination. COVID-19 vaccination offers the greatest benefit if you are at higher risk for severe illness, including if you are pregnant.

Pregnancy increases your risk of severe COVID-19 disease.1234 For example, if you are pregnant or were recently pregnant, you are:

  • More likely to get very sick from COVID-19 compared to those who are not pregnant.
  • More likely to need hospitalization, intensive care, or special equipment like a ventilator to help you breathe if you do get sick from COVID-19. Severe COVID-19 illness can lead to death.
  • More likely to have complications that can affect your pregnancy and baby, including preterm birth or stillbirth.

Pregnant and have questions about COVID-19 vaccine?

If you would like to speak to someone about a COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy, you can talk to your healthcare provider. You can also contact MotherToBaby, whose experts can answer questions in English or Spanish. This service is free and confidential.

To reach MotherToBaby:

● Call: 1-866-626-6847

● Text: 1-855-999-3525 (standard messaging rates may apply)

What we’ve learned about COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy

Studies examining COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy have included more than a million pregnant women around the world.5 In these studies, COVID-19 vaccination before and during pregnancy did not increase health risks for pregnant women or their babies. In addition, studies have also shown that COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy provides protection to both the pregnant woman and the baby. The benefits of receiving a COVID-19 vaccine outweigh potential risks of vaccination during pregnancy. Data show:

  • More than a million pregnant women around the world have received an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, before and during pregnancy. Studies have shown no increased risk for complications like miscarriage, preterm delivery, stillbirth, or birth defects.678910111213
  • mRNA COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy reduce the risk of severe illness and other health effects from COVID-19. COVID-19 vaccination might help prevent stillbirths and preterm delivery.67141511
  • COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy builds antibodies that can help protect the baby.1516
  • Receiving mRNA COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy can help protect babies younger than age 6 months from hospitalization due to COVID-19. 1718192021
  • Most babies hospitalized with COVID-19 were born to pregnant women who were not vaccinated during pregnancy.171819

Recommendations if you are breastfeeding

The 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccine recommendations have been updated for people ages 6 months and older, including women who are breastfeeding a baby. They are based on individual decision making, which emphasizes considering benefits and risks of vaccination. COVID-19 vaccination offers the greatest benefit if you are at higher risk for severe illness, including if you were recently pregnant.

There has been no evidence to suggest that COVID-19 vaccines are harmful to either women who have received a vaccine and are breastfeeding or to their babies.222324 Available data on the safety of COVID-19 vaccination while breastfeeding indicate no severe reactions after vaccination in the breastfeeding mother or the breastfed child.2523

Studies have shown that mothers who are breastfeeding a baby and have received mRNA COVID-19 vaccines have antibodies in their breast milk that could help protect their babies.252224

Possible side effects

Side effects (such as headache, pain at the injection site, and fever) reported by pregnant women after vaccination with mRNA COVID-19 vaccines (Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines) are similar to side effects reported by women who are not pregnant.67

  • Fever may be treated in consultation with a healthcare provider. Fever during pregnancy, for any reason, is associated with potential pregnancy complications.
  • A healthcare provider can help you weigh the risks of receiving an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine versus the risks of severe COVID-19 disease.

Keep in mind

For families looking for information on COVID-19 vaccines before getting pregnant:

COVID-19 Vaccination for People Who Would Like to Have a Baby | COVID-19 | CDC

Common questions

Scientific studies to date have shown no safety concerns for babies born to mothers who were vaccinated against COVID-19 during pregnancy. Based on how these vaccines work in the body, experts believe they are unlikely to pose a risk for long-term health effects. CDC continues to monitor, analyze, and disseminate information from women vaccinated during all trimesters of pregnancy to better understand effects on pregnancy and babies.

You can receive a COVID-19 vaccine at any point in pregnancy. COVID-19 vaccination can protect you from getting very sick from COVID-19. Keeping yourself as healthy as possible during pregnancy is important for the health of your baby.

Children, teens, and adults, including pregnant women, may get a COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccines, including a flu vaccine, at the same time.

Resources

For Healthcare and Public Health

Print
Content Source:
National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases; Coronavirus and Other Respiratory Viruses Division
  1. Update to living systematic review on COVID-19 in pregnancy. BMJ. 2021;372:n615.https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n615
  2. Xu K, Sun W, Yang S, et al. The impact of COVID-19 infections on pregnancy outcomes in women. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2024.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-024-06767-7
  3. Raffetti E, Bolton T, Nolan J, Zuccolo L, et al. COVID-19 diagnosis, vaccination during pregnancy, and adverse pregnancy outcomes of 865,654 women in England and Wales: a population-based cohort study. Lancet Reg Health Eur. 2024.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanepe.2024.101037
  4. DeSisto CL, Wallace B, Simeone RM, Polen K, et al. Risk for stillbirth among women with and without COVID-19 at delivery hospitalization—United States, March 2020–September 2021. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2021;70:1640-1645.https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7047e1
  5. Living systematic review COVID-19—Safe in Pregnancy | Safe in Children.https://www.safeinpregnancy.org
  6. Fleming-Dutra KE, Zauche LH, Roper LE, et al. Safety and effectiveness of maternal COVID-19 vaccines among pregnant people and infants. Obstet Gynecol Clin North Am. 2023;50(2):279-297.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ogc.2023.02.003
  7. Prasad S, Kalafat E, Blakeway H, et al. Systematic review and meta-analysis of the effectiveness and perinatal outcomes of COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy. Nat Commun. 2022;13:2414.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-30052-w
  8. Ciapponi A, Berrueta M, Argento FJ, et al. Safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy: a living systematic review and meta-analysis. Drug Saf. 2024.https://doi.org/10.1007/s40264-024-01458-w
  9. Fernandez-Garcia S, del Campo-Albendea L, Sambamoorthi D, et al. Effectiveness and safety of COVID-19 vaccines on maternal and perinatal outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Glob Health. 2024.https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2023-014247
  10. Norman M, Magnus MC, Söderling J, et al. Neonatal outcomes after COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy. JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7:e2326945.https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2023.26945
  11. Faherty EAG, Wilkins KJ, Jones S, et al. Pregnancy outcomes among pregnant persons after COVID-19 vaccination: assessing vaccine safety in a retrospective cohort analysis of the U.S. National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C). Vaccines. 2024;12(3):289.https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines12030289
  12. Rowe SL, Sullivan SG, Muñoz FM, et al. COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy and major structural birth defects. Pediatrics. 2025.https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2024-069778
  13. Sharma AJ, Reefhuis J, Zauche LH, et al. COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy and birth defects: results from the CDC COVID-19 Vaccine Pregnancy Registry, United States, 2021–2022. Birth Defects Res. 2025.https://doi.org/10.1002/bdr2.2474
  14. Schrag SJ, Verani JR, Dixon BE, et al. Estimation of COVID-19 mRNA vaccine effectiveness against medically attended COVID-19 in pregnancy during periods of Delta and Omicron variant predominance in the United States. JAMA Netw Open. 2022;5:e2233273.https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.33273
  15. Piekos SN, Price ND, Hood L, Hadlock JJ. The impact of maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 vaccination on maternal-fetal outcomes. Reprod Toxicol. 2022;114:33-43.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.reprotox.2022.10.003
  16. Yang YJ, Murphy EA, Singh S, et al. Association of gestational age at COVID-19 vaccination, history of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and booster dose with maternal and umbilical cord antibody levels at delivery. Obstet Gynecol. 2022. https://doi.org/10.1097/AOG.0000000000004693
  17. Halasa NB, Olson SM, Staat MA, et al. Maternal vaccination and risk of hospitalization for COVID-19 among infants. N Engl J Med. 2022;387(2):109-119. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2204399
  18. Hamid S, Woodworth K, Pham H, et al. COVID-19–associated hospitalizations among U.S. infants aged <6 months—COVID-NET, 13 states, June 2021–August 2022. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2022;71:1442-1448. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7145a3
  19. Simeone RM, Zambrano LD, Halasa NB, et al. Effectiveness of maternal mRNA COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy against COVID-19–associated hospitalizations in infants aged <6 months during Omicron predominance—20 states, March 9, 2022–May 31, 2023. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2023;72:1057-1064.https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7239a3
  20. Havers FP, Whitaker M, Chatwani B, et al. COVID-19–associated hospitalizations and maternal vaccination among infants aged <6 months—COVID-NET, 12 states, October 2022–April 2024. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2024.http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7338a1
  21. Barros FC, Gunier RB, Rego A, et al. Maternal vaccination against COVID-19 and neonatal outcomes during Omicron: INTERCOVID-2022 study. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2024.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2024.02.008
  22. National Library of Medicine (US). Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed) [Internet]. Bethesda, MD; 2006–. COVID-19 vaccines. Updated September 19, 2022.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK565969/
  23. Devera JL, Gonzalez Y, Sabharwal V. A narrative review of COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy and breastfeeding. J Perinatol. 2023.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-023-01734-0
  24. Nicolaidou V, Georgiou R, Christofidou M, et al. Detection of SARS-CoV-2–specific antibodies in human breast milk and their neutralizing capacity after COVID-19 vaccination: a systematic review. Int J Mol Sci. 2023;24:2957.https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24032957
  25. Muyldermans J, De Weerdt L, De Brabandere L, et al. The effects of COVID-19 vaccination on lactating women: a systematic review of the literature. Front Immunol. 2022;13:852928.https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2022.852928