CLEVELAND — There are certain vaccines that doctors say pregnant women shouldn't take like HPV or live vaccine like the one used to prevent measles, mumps and rubella.

What You Need To Know

  • Neither the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines have been tested on pregnant women

  • Experts recommend women who plan to become pregnant to take the vaccine

  • If you are currently pregnant, it’s best to talk with your doctor about what’s best for you 

The trials that lead to the FDA approval of the coronavirus vaccines did not include pregnant women, but some women became pregnant during the trial.

“What they found was that of the women in the COVID vaccine group ... about 20 did end up getting pregnant, while they were in the trial. Maybe they had gotten one dose and were about to get the second, and none of those people so far have had any adverse reactions to the vaccine, or have had any problems during their pregnancy. None of them have had miscarriages,” said Dr. Valerie Libby, an OBGYN who specializes in fertility. 

She said it's best for women who are pregnant to talk with their doctor. However, pregnancy could increase the severity of COVID symptoms.

“The American College of OBGYN and the American Society of Reproductive Medicine is recommending that you have a conversation with your doctor as to whether or not you get the vaccine. It does say that for anyone that is contemplating pregnancy, not currently pregnant, they do recommend to go and get the COVID vaccine. And the reason is because as we just mentioned, getting COVID in pregnancy is far worse than getting it when you're not pregnant,” Libby said.

Anna Kasparek, of Hudson, gave birth to her daughter, Luna, seven months ago after struggling with infertility.

Kasparek said she and her husband, Zac, plan to expand their family in the near future.

She also said she and her family plan to get the COVID vaccine when it becomes available to them.

“We suffered with infertility for years, and we leaned on science and doctors and a lot of prayer to be able to have welcomed our daughter in June of 2020. So, you know, we know the impacts of infertility on a marriage, on a family, and does not change my opinion on the vaccine. I trust the trials and results. I think it's been a medical achievement what they've been able to roll out in a year,” Kasparek said.

Kasparek said friends of hers have said they plan to wait to take the vaccine.

“I do have several pregnant friends. I'm 31 so I'm of that age where a lot of my friends have just had babies or are pregnant and expecting and several of them both postpartum and pregnant have indicated to me that they will wait to take the vaccine ... because they don't know the potential impacts on that studies and trials have not been conducted on breastfeeding mothers and pregnant women with a good reason so they will wait until they are done breastfeeding to receive the vaccine.”

Libby said when advising her patients, she looks to the science. But she said she also self reflects on what she would do. 

“I haven't had children yet as a 35-year-old. I want to have children, and something that I think about too is, will anything that I put in my body affect my fertility, affect my children in the future and if I were to become pregnant. Would I personally take the vaccine? For me, personally, I would.