The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists is urging insurers to continue covering vaccinations during pregnancy in an open letter signed by 30 prominent professional health organizations.
Pregnant patients and their infants are vulnerable to complications from COVID-19. In the letter to payers and insurance companies released this week, ACOG stressed the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccinations and how they protect babies and pregnant people. It was signed by prominent professional groups including the American College of Physicians, Infectious Diseases Society of America and the American Public Health Association.
The letter follows U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s decision to eliminate the recommendation for COVID-19 vaccinations for healthy children and healthy pregnant patients, sidestepping an established decision process by scientists. Kennedy, who has made false claims questioning vaccine safety, earlier this week fired all 17 experts on the federal vaccine advisory committee panel, replacing them with eight new members, four of whom have spoken out against vaccines.
The Trump administration’s moves have alarmed health experts, who worry about coverage and access to the shot amid the agency’s dismissal of science.
“We are deeply concerned about the recently adopted HHS policy to no longer recommend COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy,” the letter reads. “Given the historic gaps in research, investment, and support for women’s health, it is essential that all aspects of obstetric and gynecologic care — including COVID-19 vaccination — be grounded in the best available scientific evidence.
Studies have shown babies born following a COVID-19 infection during pregnancy have a higher risk of low birth weights, stillbirth and respiratory distress, and data demonstrates the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy.
Pregnant women who contract COVID-19 are also at higher risk of complications such as blood clots, are more likely to be hospitalized in intensive care units or to need ventilators, and are at a higher risk of death, the letter notes.
Payers should make the vaccine available to “pregnant people without undue utilization management or cost-sharing requirements,” the letter reads. Without insurance, a Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 shot can cost roughly $140 for adults.
Following the recommendation rollback, public health officials in some states have emphasized their support of COVID-19 vaccines.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services, for example, said it “continues to recommend the current COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy and for every person 6 months and older,” noting that newborns “depend on maternal antibodies from the vaccine for protection.” Wisconsin Medicaid will also continue to cover the shot, the department said in a media release.
Officials in Georgia also said they expect continued coverage of the shot.
In Washington, a spokesperson for the state health agency told local media that the department is advising pregnant people to speak with their provider “to determine if receiving a COVID-19 vaccine is best for them.”
During this year’s legislative sessions, at least seven states introduced legislation aiming to ban or limit mRNA vaccines. Instead of using a weakened or dead version of the actual virus to stimulate an immune response, mRNA vaccines use a genetic code created in a laboratory to tell the body’s cells to produce a protein that triggers an immune response. The Pfizer-BioNTech and the Moderna COVID-19 vaccines use mRNA technology.
“The COVID vaccines were a remarkable scientific accomplishment, and they remain the best tool that we have to prevent severe outcomes associated with COVID infection,” Dr. Steven J. Fleischman, ACOG president, wrote in a statement. “Ob-gyns know that COVID infection during pregnancy can be incredibly dangerous for our pregnant patients — and we know that the vaccine can protect both them and their infants after birth.”
When patients are “forced to pay out of pocket, or to cover high cost sharing,” he wrote, “they are less likely to be able to protect themselves, their families, and their communities.”
