Washington, D.C. – The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM), the two leading organizations representing specialists in obstetric care, recommend that all pregnant individuals be vaccinated against COVID-19. The organizations’ recommendations in support of vaccination during pregnancy reflect evidence demonstrating the safe use of the COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy from tens of thousands of reporting individuals over the last several months, as well as the current low vaccination rates and concerning increase in cases.

Data have shown that COVID-19 infection puts pregnant people at increased risk of severe complications and even death; yet only about 22% of pregnant individuals have received one or more doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In making the strong recommendation in support of vaccination during pregnancy, both national organizations emphasize concerns about significant increases in COVID-19 cases due to the Delta variant and the regional low rates of vaccination in states across the country. Recent data have shown that more than 95% of those who are hospitalized and/or dying from COVID-19 are those who have remained unvaccinated. Pregnant individuals who have decided to wait until after delivery to be vaccinated may be inadvertently exposing themselves to an increased risk of severe illness or death. Those who have recently delivered and were not vaccinated during pregnancy are also strongly encouraged to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

“ACOG encourages its members to enthusiastically recommend vaccination to their patients. This means emphasizing the known safety of the vaccines and the increased risk of severe complications associated with COVID-19 infection, including death, during pregnancy,” said J. Martin Tucker, MD, FACOG, president of ACOG. “It is clear that pregnant people need to feel confident in the decision to choose vaccination, and a strong recommendation from their obstetrician–gynecologist could make a meaningful difference for many pregnant people.”

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Pregnant people sick with COVID-19 are roughly 40% more likely to develop serious complications or die than pregnant people who don’t have the virus, according to a new nationwide study led by a Utah doctor.

The more severe one’s COVID-19 symptoms are, the more likely they are to suffer serious pregnancy complications — even from common risks, such as high blood pressure, postpartum hemorrhage and other infections, said Dr. Torri D. Metz, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist and associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at University of Utah Health.

Metz discussed the findings in a news conference Monday. Here’s what you need to know.

How does COVID-19 affect pregnancy?
Pregnant people have a higher risk of dying from COVID-19 or needing to be treated in an intensive care unit, previous research has shown. This new research found that COVID-19 can also adversely affect the outcome of a pregnancy, Metz said.

Pregnant people with moderate or severe COVID-19 symptoms — who need supplemental oxygen or to be treated in an ICU — were roughly three times more likely to have serious pregnancy complications than those who had mild, flu-like symptoms or were asymptomatic.

Most COVID-19 cases (80%) were detected in the third trimester, meaning researchers weren’t able to reliably study how the virus may affect complications earlier on in a pregnancy, Metz said. The study was published Monday in The Journal of the American Medical Association.

What is Dr. Metz’s advice?
Get vaccinated for COVID-19, Metz said.

Even though this study was conducted in 2020, before vaccines were widely available to the public, Metz said it provides more evidence that pregnant people should get the vaccine, to help prevent them from experiencing a more severe COVID-19 illness.

Nationally, pregnant people have been less likely than those who aren’t pregnant to receive the vaccine. Metz said she hopes this new study will help alleviate the concerns of people who have been hesitant. “We know that vaccination is safe and effective, and we know that SARS-CoV-2 is dangerous in pregnancy,” she said.

Find where to get vaccinated at coronavirus.utah.gov. Learn more about COVID-19 and pregnancy at mothertobaby.org/fact-sheets/covid-19-vaccines/.

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An outbreak of listeria linked to recalled bags of garden salad has killed two people and sickened 17 others in 13 states, according to federal health officials.

The outbreak is tied to packaged salads produced by Dole and sold under 11 brands, including Dole, Kroger and Nature’s Promise, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday in an update of its investigation.

Dole Fresh Vegetables at the end of October recalled salad products sold in 10 states after a sample tested positive for listeria monocytogenes, an organism that can cause serious and potentially deadly infections. The company has since recalled additional products containing iceberg lettuce produced by contaminated equipment.

Recalled salad products from a Dole plant in Springfield, Ohio, was distributed in Alabama, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin. All contained a best-if-used-by date between December 22, 2021, and January 9, 2022, according to a January notice posted by the Food and Drug Administration.

Recalled salad products from another facility in Soledad, California, were sold in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin. All contained a best-if-used-by date between December 23, 2021, and January 8, 2022.

In late December, the company also recalled packaged salads processed at facilities in Bessemer City, North Carolina, and Yuma, Arizona, due to listeria concerns.

The CDC is also investigating another listeria outbreak linked to recalled packaged salads produced by Fresh Express. The agency reports 10 hospitalizations and one death in that separate outbreak.

Listeriosis is a serious infection usually caused by eating contaminated food, afflicting an estimated 1,600 people in the U.S. each year and killing about 260 people, according to the CDC.

Reported By: Kate Gibson, CBS NEWS