Confusing Messages on COVID-19 Vaccination for Pregnant Women... WHO and CDC Take Opposing Stances Causing 'Confusion'

[Asia Economy Reporter Hana Na] Confusion is increasing as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) hold conflicting positions regarding COVID-19 vaccination for pregnant women.

The New York Times (NYT) reported on the 29th (local time) that WHO and CDC have shown opposing stances on the issue of COVID-19 vaccination for pregnant women.

Last month, the CDC issued a recommendation stating that "pregnant women should get vaccinated after consulting with their doctors," adding that pregnant or breastfeeding women, who belong to a vulnerable group for COVID-19, can receive the vaccine to prevent infection.

However, on the 26th, WHO released COVID-19 vaccine guidelines advising, "Unless pregnant women have underlying conditions or are at high risk of infection, they should not get vaccinated."

Nonetheless, some argue that avoiding vaccination due to safety concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine poses a greater risk to pregnant women.

Dr. Denise Jamieson, an obstetrician at Emory University School of Medicine, pointed out, "Avoiding vaccination despite the risk of COVID-19 adversely affecting pregnancy is not a wise choice."

According to a CDC study published in November last year, pregnant women had higher hospitalization rates from COVID-19 infection compared to non-pregnant women. Consequently, the CDC added pregnancy as one of the conditions that can lead to severe illness and death from COVID-19.

Meanwhile, Pfizer plans to conduct a separate clinical trial for pregnant women in the first half of this year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.