Change in COVID-19 vaccine guidance raises concerns for pregnant women and children

CINCINNATI (WKRC) — Recent changes in government health agency guidelines regarding the COVID-19 vaccine have sparked concerns among healthcare providers, particularly for pregnant women and children.

The new guidelines no longer recommend the vaccine for healthy children and pregnant women, but infectious disease specialists emphasized the importance of consulting with healthcare providers about individual health risks.

Dr. Stephen Blatt, TriHealth Medical Director of Infectious Diseases, highlighted the risks associated with pregnancy.

“Oh, it certainly is and we’ve seen lots of pregnant women even in the more recent years who’ve been very ill from COVID and ended up in the hospital with bad lung problems because their immunity is down just from the pregnancy itself,” said Blatt. “These are normal healthy women; the pregnancy is a state of immune suppression.”

The COVID-19 vaccine not only protects pregnant women but also offers protection to infants for the first six months after birth, a critical period when they are most vulnerable to viral complications and too young to be vaccinated.

“COVID is still a really bad disease in neonates, and if they are protected by moms’ antibodies they do well, but there are admissions and deaths among neonates due to COVID still in 2025,” said Blatt.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, COVID-19 remains a significant threat, with an average of about 350 people dying each week from the virus last month.

The National Institutes of Health reports that one in five children who contract COVID-19 experience long COVID complications, including lingering low energy, fatigue and severe headaches.

Despite the new guidelines, family physicians may still recommend the vaccine for healthy children. However, the updated guidance could lead to fewer insurance companies covering the cost, potentially resulting in out-of-pocket expenses for families.

With the busy travel and vacation season underway and the emergence of the NB.1.8.1 variant overseas, Dr. Blatt warns that safety from the virus may not be assured until winter.

“We think it might go back up in the summer like it has in the past, and we will just have to see what happens,” said Blatt.

To protect against the virus, pregnant or not, early testing, antiviral treatments, avoiding contact with sick individuals and wearing masks during travel are recommended precautions.