Pregnant people are at a much higher risk for COVID-19, study finds

Pregnant people vaccinated against the novel coronavirus are almost twice as likely to be infected with the coronavirus, according to a new study based on 14 million medical records.

Driving the news: A new medical analysis reviewed medical records for about 14 million people since the vaccine was first distributed, per The Washington Post.

• The study found that “pregnant people who are vaccinated have the greatest risk of developing covid among a dozen medical states, including being an organ transplant recipient and having cancer,” according to The Washington Post.

What they said: “If you are fully vaccinated, that’s magnificent,” David Little, a physician and lead author of the study, told The Washington Post. “But if you are fully vaccinated and become pregnant, you remain at higher risk of acquiring covid.”

Breakthrough cases: Breakthrough cases of COVID-19 often come with their own set of COVID-19 symptoms, as I wrote for the Deseret News.

• However, people with breakthrough cases often become less sick from COVID-19 and experience more mild COVID-19 symptoms.

Yes, but: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been pushing for pregnant women to get the COVID-19 vaccine since summer 2021.

• The CDC has pushed for pregnant people, those who were recently pregnant and those who might get pregnant in the future to all get the vaccine.

What they said: “Pregnancy can be both a special time and also a stressful time — and pregnancy during a pandemic is an added concern for families,” said Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky, the director of the CDC. “I strongly encourage those who are pregnant or considering pregnancy to talk with their health care provider about the protective benefits of the COVID-19 vaccine to keep their babies and themselves safe.”