CDC advises pregnant women to get COVID-19 vaccine

CDC's new guidance on pregnancy and COVID vaccine

The CDC is advising pregnant women, those who have just recently given birth or are hoping to get pregnant to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

CHICAGO - The CDC is advising pregnant women, those who have just recently given birth or are hoping to get pregnant to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

This came straight from the CDC in an urgent health alert.

This topic has been on the minds of many moms, or want-to-be moms, deciding whether or not to get vaccinated against the virus.

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Finally on paper, the nation's top health leaders said the benefits of the COVID-19 vaccine far outweigh any potential risks.

"They're worried about side effects, or they're concerned that it may be more harmful to them," said Julie Levitt, Clinical instructor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. "They don't necessarily see the benefit. They may not realize that they will develop good antibodies that they'll pass to their babies through their placentas in pregnancy, which will benefit and protect their babies postpartum."

Levitt said the guidance from the CDC may help calm those fears for her unvaccinated patients.

The CDC also reports pregnant women have a two-fold risk of ending up in the ICU and a 70-percent increased risk of death if they contract COVID-19.