As healthcare providers on the frontlines receive the COVID-19 vaccine, those who are pregnant are weighing the odds on whether getting the vaccine is right for both them and their unborn child.
On Tuesday, Hughes will request that the NIH fund another vaccine study, allowing researchers to follow both, pregnant patients who receive a COVID-19 vaccine and those who choose not to, comparing how they do throughout the course of their pregnancy.
Hughes said ensuring pregnant women are included in vaccine studies moving forward, is vital to not only protecting them, but empowering them. Pregnancy is not a reason for patients to not be able to make their own decisions about whether or not they want to receive a therapy that may be helpful to them medically, Hughes said.