Getting vaccinated while pregnant protects newborns, CDC data shows

Lauren Schneider was close to the end of her pregnancy when she decided to get vaccinated. Schneider said when her daughter Elli was 8-months-old, she tested positive for coronavirus.

But, Schneider said her daughter only experienced mild symptoms while battling the virus.

"At the time, the doctor told me, she’ll probably get over this in 3-5 days. That’s exactly what happened. It seemed like a mild cold, I didn’t even have to give her Tylenol or anything," said Schneider.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released data showing the first, real evidence that mothers vaccinated while pregnant were able to protect their baby after birth.

"The antibodies we know pass through the placenta from mom to the fetus [and then] go on to protect those children once they’re born," said Dr. Brenna Hughes, a maternal-fetal mediicine specialist at Duke Health.

Pregnant Duke doctor shares experiences, encourages soon-to-be mothers to get vaccine

Hughes said health experts have noticed an increase in pregnant women getting vaccinated. She adds that while vaccine for children under 5 is still in the works, being vaccinated before giving birth is the best optional right now.

"This will provide protection for infants before they are able to get vaccinated," said Hughes.

Schneider said she wouldn’t change a thing.

"After everything I've read and hearing people’s stories of how they end up much worse, I feel the vaccination helped us experience mild symptoms," Schneider said.

Hughes said one of the biggest questions she gets from expectant mothers is when they should get their COVID-19 vaccine. Hughes said she tells her patients they can receive the vaccine at any point during their pregnancy.