Recently, I wrote that RFK Jr (HHS Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr) decided to stop recommending the COVID vaccines for children and pregnant women. As I said then, RFK Jr was wrong to do this, and the COVID vaccines are safe and effective for pregnant women. Moreover, they help protect newborns from the deadly disease.

Politico has reported that RKF Jr and HHS have been circulating a document to justify the recent decision to no longer recommend COVID-19 vaccines for pregnant women. Ironically, the studies included in the document largely found the vaccines to be safe and effective for pregnant women. This is further evidence that RFK Jr has no clue about science or how to read a science article, but I digress.

This post will review the research that shows that the COVID vaccines are indeed safe and effective for pregnant women.

Research on COVID vaccines for pregnant women

The HHS document cited this population-based cohort study from Ontario, Canada, to claim that it shows women who received the COVID vaccines during pregnancy. The document also claimed that “a number of studies in pregnant women showed higher rates of fetal loss if vaccination was received before 20 weeks of pregnancy.”

However, the actual article concludes:

SARS-CoV-2 vaccination was not associated with miscarriage while accounting for the competing risk of induced abortion. 

The published study didn’t say what RFK Jr thinks it says. I know, my readers probably are shocked, just shocked.

In another case of misreading research, or intentionally trying to mislead people, the document cites a study that examined the effect of mRNA-based COVID vaccines on in vitro fertilization and pregnancy outcomes.

The study actually concludes that:

Administration of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines was not associated with an adverse effect on stimulation or early pregnancy outcomes after IVF. Our findings contribute to the growing body of evidence regarding the safety of COVID-19 vaccination in women who are trying to conceive.

That’s pretty clear to me that the COVID vaccines are safe.

But we are not done yet. The HHS document cites another large cohort safety study on COVID vaccines and pregnancy outcomes, which concludes:

SARS-CoV-2 vaccine appears to be safe during pregnancy with no increase in incidence of preterm labor and small for gestational age compared to unvaccinated women. However, in women vaccinated during the second trimester there may be an increase in the rate of preterm birth.

You might think there’s an “ah-ha” moment there, because there might be an increase in the rate of pre-term birth. However, the risk was relatively small.

COVID vaccines save babies’ lives

RFK Jr incorrectly pushes the trope that the COVID vaccines are not safe by misinterpreting or lying about papers that say otherwise. On the other hand, he completely ignores research that shows the COVID vaccines are extraordinarily effective in protecting the fetus and newborn from the deadly effects of COVID.

A study published in the CDC’s own MMWR Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report concludes:

COVID-19 can cause severe disease in infants aged <6 months; prevention should focus on ensuring that pregnant persons receive recommended COVID-19 vaccines to protect themselves and their young infants.

The only effective protection for babies during those six months comes from vaccinating pregnant women, so they pass the antibodies on to their newborns. Vaccination during pregnancy also protects pregnant people from contracting severe disease, which could lead to a negative outcome for both the mother and the developing fetus.

Summary

Kennedy likes to proclaim that he is a “science geek.” Well, I am officially a science geek, and I know a lot of science geeks, and not a single one of us would think that Kennedy knows anything about science.

RFK Jr just wants to find “science” that fits his opinions and beliefs about vaccines. He is totally uninterested in real science, which generally debunks his claims.

He publishes this report on COVID vaccines and safety in pregnant mothers, and since he could find nothing to support his beliefs, he or his sycophants at HHS just throw in random citations, most of which do not support his claims. In fact, they state the opposite.

I hope pregnant mothers keep getting the vaccine to protect their babies. Because the science says it does.

But don’t trust some random blogger on the internet. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) still strongly recommends the COVID vaccines for pregnant and lactating mothers. Here is what they say:

While the CDC recently removed its recommendation that pregnant and lactating individuals receive updated COVID-19 vaccines, ACOG’s recommendations have not changed. ACOG continues to recommend the use of updated COVID-19 vaccines in pregnant and lactating individuals.

Citations

• Aharon D, Lederman M, Ghofranian A, Hernandez-Nieto C, Canon C, Hanley W, Gounko D, Lee JA, Stein D, Buyuk E, Copperman AB. In Vitro Fertilization and Early Pregnancy Outcomes After Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Vaccination. Obstet Gynecol. 2022 Apr 1;139(4):490-497. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000004713. Epub 2022 Jan 25. PMID: 35080199.
• Dick A, Rosenbloom JI, Gutman-Ido E, Lessans N, Cahen-Peretz A, Chill HH. Safety of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination during pregnancy- obstetric outcomes from a large cohort study. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2022 Feb 28;22(1):166. doi: 10.1186/s12884-022-04505-5. PMID: 35227233; PMCID: PMC8884102.
• Havers FP, Whitaker M, Chatwani B, Patton ME, Taylor CA, Chai SJ, Kawasaki B, Yousey-Hindes K, Openo KP, Ryan PA, Leegwater L, Lynfield R, Sosin DM, Anderson BJ, Tesini B, Sutton M, Talbot HK, George A, Milucky J; COVID-NET Surveillance Team. 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 Sep 26;73(38):830-836. doi: 10.15585/mmwr.mm7338a1. PMID: 39325677; PMCID: PMC11563568.
• Velez MP, Fell DB, Shellenberger JP, Kwong JC, Ray JG. Miscarriage after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination: A population-based cohort study. BJOG. 2024 Mar;131(4):415-422. doi: 10.1111/1471-0528.17721. Epub 2023 Nov 16. PMID: 37973606.

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