COVID vaccine ‘strongly recommended' during pregnancy, Canadian doctors say
A doctor uses a hand-held Doppler probe on a pregnant woman to measure the heartbeat of the fetus, Dec. 17, 2021, in Jackson, Miss. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Rogelio V. Solis
TORONTO — Canada's gynecologists say COVID-19 vaccination is 'strongly recommended' during pregnancy and while breastfeeding.
The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada issued the statement Wednesday, a day after U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. declared the shot no longer recommended for healthy children and pregnant women south of the border.
The Canadian group says pregnant women who become infected with COVID-19 are more likely to be hospitalized and require intensive care than women who are not pregnant.
They also say getting vaccinated helps protect against serious complications associated with the virus, such as preterm birth.
Citing 'an age of growing misinformation and disinformation,' the statement urges women and health-care providers to rely on 'evidence-based science and clinical expertise' to make vaccine decisions.
Kennedy has long been a prominent anti-vaccine activist in the United States.
— With files from The Associated Press.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 28, 2025.
Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.
Nicole Ireland, The Canadian Press
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