Evidence review suggests COVID-19 vaccines safe for pregnant women and their babies
Pregnant women are at increased risk of illness due to infection compared with other adults, so avoiding infection is essential for them. Until January 2025, the CDC stated that a COVID-19 vaccine was “especially important” for pregnant women.
To provide evidence-based insights, ECRI conducted a clinical evidence assessment of the health consequences for pregnant women and their babies who receive an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. This resulted in a white paper summarizing results from a January 2025 systematic review (which included almost 300 studies) and eight additional studies completed since January.
CONCLUSION
The available data suggest mRNA vaccines are safe and effective for pregnant women and their babies. The benefits of getting the COVID vaccine outweigh the risks for pregnant women and their babies.
About ECRI and Clinical Evidence Assessments (CEAs)
ECRI is designated an Evidence-based Practice Center by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and a federally certified Patient Safety Organization by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
ECRI’s clinical evidence assessments (CEAs) give healthcare providers, researchers, and payors a clear, at-a-glance view of the safety and effectiveness of healthcare interventions and treatments. The CEAs are unbiased reports that inform clinical quality improvement and patient safety initiatives and deliver insights that help decision-makers identify safe, evidence-based interventions.
Using a rigorous but rapid evidence assessment process, ECRI researchers are continually evaluating a variety of emerging topics in healthcare—from new wound care products and obesity treatments to AI-enabled medical devices and digital health innovations. Learn more.
Contact
Yvonne Rhodes, Associate Director of Strategic Communications & Operations, at YRhodes@ECRI.org.