OB-GYN Group's Vax Advice Strays From the Feds'

A prominent OB-GYN group announced vaccine recommendations on Wednesday that differ from what the US government advises. The immunization schedule is specifically for pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding women, reports the AP. It aligns with prior recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, before changes were made under the Trump administration and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Earlier this year, the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists withdrew from a CDC advisory committee on vaccines because of those changes, which have spawned legal challenges.

"So now for the first time, ACOG has made the decision to formally release its own immunization schedule to provide and communicate clear evidence-based guidance and to address the growing vaccine misinformation that is circulating," said Dr. Christopher Zahn, the OB-GYN group's chief of clinical practice. The new schedule has been endorsed by 13 other professional and medical societies. Other groups, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, have also put out vaccine schedules this year that differ from the CDC's. Four immunizations are routinely recommended during pregnancy:

• The flu vaccine, which can be taken any trimester, at any time of year, although it's best to get it in early fall.
• The COVID-19 shot, which can be taken during any trimester at any time of year, although it's best to receive it as soon as possible during pregnancy.
• A tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap) shot, preferably as early as possible between 27 and 36 weeks.
• A respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine, between 32 and 36 weeks of pregnancy in your first pregnancy, during September through January in most parts of the US. If you had the RSV vaccine during a previous pregnancy, you do not need to get it again, the group says, but your baby should get an antibody shot after birth.
• Other vaccines—pneumococcal, meningococcal, hepatitis A and hepatitis B—may be needed for women with certain risk factors.
• Three others are recommended before pregnancy or after birth, protecting against human papillomavirus; measles, mumps, and rubella; and chickenpox.

The biggest difference between these recommendations and CDC advice involves the COVID-19 vaccine. Last May, Kennedy announced that COVID-19 vaccines are no longer recommended for healthy pregnant women and children—a move immediately questioned by several public health experts. "Vaccine hesitancy is huge in this country right now," said Carol Hayes of the American College of Nurse Midwives. "Patients come in all the time saying I've done my own research, and sadly, they're doing research and they're getting information that is not scientifically based."