COVID-19 Vaccination in Early Pregnancy Not Linked to Birth Defects

Pregnant people who received a messenger RNA, or mRNA, COVID-19 vaccine during their first trimester did not have a greater risk of giving birth to infants with structural birth defects than those who didn’t receive the vaccine then, according to data from an observational cohort study published in JAMA Pediatrics. The study involved more than 42 100 pregnancies that led to live births. The results “should provide reassurance to pregnant people and their obstetric care practitioners,” the researchers wrote.