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Coronavirus Updates: May 10, 2021

Although we continue to see the devastating impact of the COVID crisis globally, we are happy to share that in B.C., people who are pregnant have been prioritized for COVID-19 vaccination and can now book a vaccine appointment. Science has shown that pregnant persons have an increased risk of severe complications associated with infection from COVID-19 comparable to that of 55–59-year old persons in the general population.

The recommendation to get vaccinated during pregnancy is supported by the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC), the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) and public health experts in B.C. Women should not be excluded or deferred from vaccination due to being pregnant. The vaccine is recommended at any time during pregnancy.

Early data regarding the safety of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines (such as Moderna or Pfizer) during pregnancy are promising as illustrated in a recent report published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The CDC has created the v-safe program, a smartphone-based tool that uses text messaging and web surveys to provide personalized health check-ins after vaccinations, and specifically a v-safe pregnancy registry to gather information on the health of pregnant people who have received the vaccine.

As of the beginning of March, 35,691 women who received the vaccine identified as pregnant. The V-Safe Pregnancy Registry successfully obtained information on pregnancy outcomes after vaccination from 3,950 women.  Among this group, there were no increased risks in adverse pregnancy or neonatal outcomes compared to women who did not receive the vaccine.

Given the known risks and severity of COVID-19 disease during pregnancy, we support vaccination of individuals who are pregnant or actively trying to become pregnant. This recent study further supports this recommendation.

We hope that you, your family and community are healthy and well.  As always, we appreciate the trust you place in us.  We will continue to share more data and update you with any new studies that may influence decisions that you need to make for yourself and your family.

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