MILWAUKEE— While thousands of COVID-19 vaccines continue to be distributed each day, there are growing concerns about pregnant women being vaccinated. 

While experts continue to gather data, fertility expert and OBGYN Dr. Ellen Hayes from Vios Fertility Institute-Milwaukee is sharing the following about the vaccine as it relates to pregnant women.

Hayes says that pregnancy could make women more susceptible to contracting the coronavirus. She also says that COVID patients who are pregnant are five times more likely to be admitted to the ICU, or placed on a ventilator, than COVID patients who are not pregnant.

Hayes also says that coronavirus does not seem to spread from the mother to her unborn child.

Here's how COVID-19 impacts pregnant women differently throughout their pregnancy. 

Because women working in healthcare are more frequently exposed to COVID-19, many pregnant healthcare workers on the frontlines have opted to be vaccinated. While pregnant women should discuss their options with their doctor before making a decision about the vaccine, Vios experts recommend they get vaccinated.

They can also help you explore which vaccine to get, should that be the route you choose. Neither the Moderna nor the Pfizer vaccine was tested on pregnant women, but that's relatively standard for vaccine trials, according to Hayes. The Moderna vaccine is 92% effective, whereas Pfizer is 95% effective. Both coronavirus vaccines are messenger ribonucleic acid-based, which means they do not contain the live virus.  

Hayes also says it's important to talk to your provider directly, since there is a lot of misinformation circulating.