ACOG immunization – A coalition backed by the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists recommends four immunizations for expectant mothers, including Covid and flu shots, on a schedule that goes beyond U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance. The push la
On Wednesday, a coalition of maternal health groups recommended that expectant mothers get four vaccinations—spanning Covid and flu as well as protections for newborns—using a schedule endorsed by the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists, or ACOG.
The proposal names specific timing for several shots during pregnancy and outside it. placing it in direct contrast with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s current approach. The CDC withdraw its recommendation that expectant mothers get a Covid vaccine in 2025. and it also limits its flu guidance to flu season—rather than “any time of the year”—and does not endorse giving it in every trimester. The ACOG schedule, by comparison, includes Covid and flu immunizations as part of its four-shot plan.
“Maternal vaccines are one of the most effective ways to protect not only the mother but her newborn as well. ” Andrew Racine. president of the American Academy of Pediatrics. said in a statement as the recommendations were released. Racine added that babies have a still-developing immune system and depend on adults getting vaccinated to prevent the child’s infection with dangerous illnesses.
The ACOG recommendations were not issued in isolation. They were endorsed by 13 other medical organizations, including the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American College of Nurse-Midwives.
The schedule includes TDaP, a vaccine for tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis, after 27 weeks of pregnancy. It also calls for an RSV shot from weeks 32 to 36 during a first pregnancy. For women with risk factors, the coalition advises pneumococcal, meningococcal and hepatitis shots.
Three other vaccinations—those against human papillomavirus, measles, mumps, and rubella, and chickenpox—should be received before or after pregnancy, including while breastfeeding, according to the recommendations.
What’s different from the CDC’s current framing is not just the inclusion of Covid. The coalition explicitly treats flu vaccination as something that fits within pregnancy more flexibly than the CDC’s seasonal. timing-specific guidance. Under the ACOG plan. expectant mothers are recommended flu immunizations as part of the four shots. rather than being limited to flu season or to specific trimesters.
The recommendations arrive as public confidence in federal guidance appears shaky. A survey released by Harvard University and the de Beaumont Foundation on Tuesday found that only 12 percent of Americans say they trust CDC recommendations “a great deal.” At the same time. it found broader support for outside medical groups such as the American Heart Association. which had the backing of 80 percent of survey respondents.
The reaction from within the obstetrics establishment is sharp. Camille A. Clare. the president of ACOG. said in a statement that “Changing national recommendations coupled with rampant vaccine misinformation are resulting in confusion for both patients and health care professionals.” Clare said it is “incredibly important for the public to have access to reliable. evidence-based information on maternal immunizations from a trusted source.”.
The coalition’s effort now places obstetric practice decisions squarely on a contested fault line: what clinicians interpret as evidence-based timing versus what the CDC currently endorses after changes that include withdrawing its 2025 recommendation for Covid vaccination during pregnancy.
Editor’s Note: This story is in development and may be updated.
ACOG maternal health vaccination schedule Covid vaccine flu shot TDaP RSV pregnancy immunizations CDC guidance Andrew Racine Camille A. Clare Harvard survey de Beaumont Foundation