Large new study finds getting COVID vaccine during pregnancy reduces risk of preterm birth
Pregnant women who receive the COVID vaccine are 60 percent less likely to suffer from severe illness and about 30 percent less likely to give birth prematurely, according to a new study.

Viroit Changyencham/Getty Images
Pregnant women who receive the COVID vaccine are significantly less likely to experience severe symptoms or give birth prematurely, according to a comprehensive study. new research published today in Journal of the American Medical Association.
Those who received the vaccine during pregnancy, rather than before, were even less likely to have health complications. The findings add to growing evidence that COVID vaccines are safe and beneficial in different populations. Despite this evidence, the Trump administration's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention rescinded its recommendation that pregnant people get the COVID vaccine, which Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he “very pleased” O.
Catching COVID is especially dangerous during pregnancywhich dramatically increases the likelihood of serious illness and even death. Unvaccinated people are at greatest risk of severe consequences.
About supporting science journalism
If you enjoyed this article, please consider supporting our award-winning journalism. subscription. By purchasing a subscription, you help ensure a future of influential stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
A new study of nearly 20,000 pregnant women in Canada shows that vaccinated pregnant women are about 60 per cent less likely to be hospitalized and 90 per cent less likely to require intensive care than those who are not vaccinated. In the Delta and Omicron waves, the vaccine was also associated with a fifth and third, respectively, reduction in the risk of preterm birth, which carries multiple health risks for the baby.
“Our findings provide clear population-level evidence that COVID-19 vaccination protects pregnant women and their babies from serious complications,” Deborah Money, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at UBC and senior author of the study, said in the recent study. statement.
It's time to stand up for science
If you liked this article, I would like to ask for your support. Scientific American has been a champion of science and industry for 180 years, and now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.
I was Scientific American I have been a subscriber since I was 12, and it has helped shape my view of the world. science always educates and delights me, instills a sense of awe in front of our vast and beautiful universe. I hope it does the same for you.
If you subscribe to Scientific Americanyou help ensure our coverage focuses on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on decisions that threaten laboratories across the US; and that we support both aspiring and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.
In return you receive important news, fascinating podcastsbrilliant infographics, newsletters you can't missvideos worth watching challenging gamesand the world's best scientific articles and reporting. You can even give someone a subscription.
There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you will support us in this mission.






