A Canadian gynecologist said Covid-19 vaccination is “safe and highly recommended” during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
The Canadian Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists declared that it is no longer recommended for healthy children and pregnant women south of the border, the day after US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (a longtime anti-vaccine activist).
Pregnant women infected with Covid-19 are at a higher risk of severe illness requiring hospitalization and intensive care than non-pregnant women, the SOGC said.
Taking the Covid-19 vaccine can also help protect you from serious virus-related complications, such as preterm birth.
“We are increasing scientific evidence regarding the effects of Covid-19 infection or other respiratory viruses on pregnant people, and increasing the ways in which vaccinations can reduce that,” Dr. Darrin El Charle, a maternal fetal medicine expert at Ottawa Hospital, said in an interview.
El-Chaar, who spoke on behalf of the SOGC, said pregnant women remained a priority population for Covid vaccinations in Canada, and the shot also provided immunity to the baby's virus.
Trend now
Canadian industry warns Trump's new steel tariffs will cause “massive disruption”
The 14-year-old was charged with first-degree murder of an elderly woman in Pickering, Ont.
Kennedy's move to cancel shots in the US is not based on medical evidence, she said.
Get weekly health news
Receive the latest medical news and health information provided every Sunday.
“There were no studies, no clinical trials or follow-up studies suggesting adverse outcomes or effects of Covid-19 vaccination in pregnant populations and infants.
Citing “an era of increasing misinformation and disinformation,” the SOGC urged women and healthcare providers to rely on “evidence-based science and clinical expertise” to make vaccine decisions.
El-Chaar said it is important for the group to issue a statement to reassure pregnant women in Canada who we are misinforming on the news and social media.
Pregnant women should get a Covid-19 shot, especially if they received their last vaccination six months ago, she said.
“I'm going to talk about 'one vaccine, two lives.' You are protecting your mother and baby,” El Charle said.
-Includes files from Associated Press.
More Video Details
& Copy 2025 Canada Report