CDC issues health advisory telling 'pregnant people' to trust the science and get COVID-19 vaccine

On Wednesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an urged health advisory strongly recommending that "pregnant people" get the COVID-19 vaccine.

"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends urgent action to increase Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination among people who are pregnant, recently pregnant (including those who are lactating), who are trying to become pregnant now, or who might become pregnant in the future," the advisory stated.

The CDC noted that the benefits of receiving the vaccination while pregnant outweigh "known or potential risks."

"Data from the COVID-19-Associated Hospitalization Surveillance Network (COVID-NET) in 2021 indicate that approximately 97% of pregnant people hospitalized (either for illness or for labor and delivery) with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection were unvaccinated," the CDC said.

They noted that those who get COVID-19 and are pregnant or recently pregnant are at a higher risk of serious illness or death, and that there is an increased risk for pre-term births.

"As of September 27, 2021, more than 125,000 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases have been reported in pregnant people, including more than 22,000 hospitalized cases and 161 deaths," wrote the CDC, noting that in August of 2021, the highest number of COVID-19 deaths in pregnant people reached a record high of 22.

Despite recent urges for pregnant people to get the vaccine, the CDC reports that only 31 percent of pregnant people were fully vaccinated before or during their pregnancy.

"In addition, there are racial and ethnic disparities in vaccination coverage for pregnant people," said the CDC.

According to The Hill, only 15.6 percent of non-Hispanic Black pregnant people reported being vaccinated, the lowest of all demographics.

The decision to change pregnant women to "pregnant people" in their health advisory follows a recent trend over the last year to gender neutralize language around women and pregnancy.

In June, a budget proposal from the Biden administration referred to pregnant women as "birthing people," while simultaneously keeping the phrase "Maternal Mortality Rate."

"Reduces Maternal Mortality Rate and Ends Race-Based Disparities in Maternal Mortality. The united States has the highest maternal mortality rate among developed nations, with an unacceptably high mortality rate for Black, American Indian/Alaska Native, and other women of color," the proposal read.

"To help end this high rate of maternal mortality and race-based disparities in outcomes among birthing people…" the proposal continued.

In June, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra was pressed on the language change in the bill, but could not come up with a reason or definition regarding the change.

"I'll check on the language there, but I think if we're talking about those who give birth, I think we're talking about…" says Becerra before trailing off. "I don't know how else to explain it to you other than…" But he can't complete the sentence.

Representative Cori Bush used the same language in a hearing back in May. "I am committed to doing the most to doing the absolute most to protect black mothers, to protect black babies, and to protect black birthing people."

Around Mother's Day this year, NARAL, which is short for the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League, used the same term "because it's not just cis-gender women that can get pregnant and give birth."