WORCESTER, Mass. - After another emergency advisory from the CDC, local medical leaders are calling on pregnant women to get vaccinated against COVID-19. 

The message advises pregnant women to protect not only themselves, but their baby from the harmful virus. 

Dr. Robert Klugman at UMass Memorial Health says they are seeing an alarming number of COVID-19 cases in pregnant women. 

The virus puts mothers and babies at risk. 

Dr. Klugman says despite false information about the vaccine harming pregnant women, there is overwhelming data showing it's safe and effective. 

“The COVID illness has substantial risk for morbidity and mortality for harm to mother and baby. And the evidence is overwhelming that the COVID illness is very dire for pregnant women and babies,” Dr. Klugman said. “Whereas the vaccine has shown over and over again to be absolutely safe in pregnant women."

Dr. Klugman says the vaccine is also safe for women looking to become pregnant and new mothers who might be breastfeeding.