Vaccination and pregnancy: COVID-19

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Benefits of COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy and breastfeeding

Vaccination is an important part of a healthy pregnancy, with health benefits for both the pregnant person and their baby. Several vaccines are routinely recommended during pregnancy, including COVID-19 vaccines.

People who are pregnant are at higher risk of experiencing severe outcomes from COVID-19, including:

Getting COVID-19 during pregnancy is associated with a higher risk of pregnancy-related complications, including:

Evidence suggests that COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy helps to prevent:

Getting an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, including a booster dose, during any stage of pregnancy is safe and effective. COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy helps protect against serious outcomes for the person who is pregnant and their baby.

Vaccinated people can also pass antibodies to their baby through the placenta and through breastmilk.

COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for people who are:

Learn more about:

Safety of COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy and breastfeeding

Pregnant people can safely get vaccinated against COVID-19 at any time during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.

Evidence about the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy comes from real-world data on outcomes for people vaccinated during pregnancy. Hundreds of thousands of pregnant or breastfeeding people around the world have safely received mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. Large studies found no increase in rates of:

Impact of COVID-19 vaccination on fertility

COVID-19 vaccination is strongly recommended for people who are planning a pregnancy. Those intending to become pregnant don't need to delay pregnancy after vaccination with an mRNA vaccine.

Millions of people have received an mRNA vaccine in Canada and around the world. Data has shown no evidence that COVID-19 vaccines cause fertility problems in women or men. This includes:

Individual public health measures

Individual public health measures are actions you can take to reduce your risk of getting COVID-19. These include:

These individual public health measures are most effective when used alongside vaccination.

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