COVID-19 Vaccines: Safe for All, Including Pregnant Women

New evidence from Ontario and British Columbia confirms that COVID-19 vaccines are overwhelmingly safe, with only a small percentage of people reporting serious reactions. In Ontario, out of 38 million vaccine doses administered, there were 23,002 reports of adverse reactions, with 94.5% of them being non-serious. The most common complaints were allergic skin reactions and pain at the injection site. A small number of adverse events were considered serious, but investigations revealed that the vaccines were likely not the cause. Similar data from British Columbia supports the strong safety profile of COVID-19 vaccines. Additionally, a study in Ontario found that babies born to vaccinated mothers had lower rates of serious health complications, neonatal death, and admission to the neonatal intensive care unit. Experts have expressed concerns about confusing messaging regarding the importance of getting updated COVID-19 vaccines this fall.