A new, large study has provided powerful evidence that when the mother receives the COVID vaccine during pregnancy, it not only protects the mom but also protects the baby.

This scientific evidence contradicts the beliefs of HHS Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr and his acolytes on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

This article will examine the results of a large meta-analysis, which show that mothers who receive the COVID vaccine during pregnancy experience improved clinical outcomes for their babies.

COVID vaccine during pregnancy and baby outcomes

According to an umbrella review of meta-analyses comprising more than 1.2 million women presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics meeting on 27 September 2025, Nikan Zargarzadeh, MD, Harvard University, Boston, and colleagues, found that the COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy conferred benefits for mother and baby without increased risk of adverse events.

The researchers conducted a systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase from January 2021 to September 2023, including 23 meta-analyses inclusive of more than 200 studies and 1.25 million pregnant women with documented COVID-19 vaccination.

Here are the key results:

• COVID vaccination during pregnancy was associated with a 59% reduced risk of COVID infection
• It was associated with a 25% reduction in the risk of stillbirth.
• It was associated with an 8% reduction in risk of preterm birth.
• It was associated with a 34% lower risk of severe preterm birth before 28 weeks.
• COVID vaccination was also associated with a 9% lower risk of neonatal intensive care admission.
• It was also associated with a 17% lower risk of congenital anomalies.
• COVID vaccination during pregnancy also did not increase the risks observed for maternal hospitalization, intensive care admission, gestational diabetes, hypertension, or pre-eclampsia.

Summary

This study answers one of the concerns about the COVID vaccine — it does not harm the baby.

Clearly, this research shows that maternal COVID vaccination reduces infections and hospitalizations for mom and reduces the risk of severe neonatal outcomes, such as extreme preterm birth, neonatal intensive care unit admission, and stillbirth. The vaccine is protecting the mother and baby.

This research supports the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommendations for COVID vaccines during pregnancy. ACOG “recommends that patients receive an updated COVID-19 vaccine or booster at any point during pregnancy, when planning to become pregnant, in the postpartum period, or when lactating.”

RFK Jr and his ACIP ended its recommendation for routine COVID vaccination among pregnant women and healthy children in May, and the CDC added its weasel-worded “shared clinical decision-making” to its recommendation for anyone wanting the COVID vaccine.

But the evidence is solid — pregnant women should get the COVID vaccine to protect themselves and their unborn babies.

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