ACOG Breaks From CDC, Reaffirms Support of Covid-19 Vaccine During Pregnancy

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Key Takeaways

ACOG continues to recommend Covid-19 vaccination during pregnancy, despite CDC's recent removal of this guidance.
ACOG advises simultaneous administration of Covid-19 and other vaccines during pregnancy to enhance maternal and fetal health.
AAP supports Covid-19 vaccination for children and criticizes the CDC's Advisory Committee for spreading misinformation.
ACOG has refused federal funding and partnered with The Vaccine Integrity Project for independent guidance on maternal immunization.

ACOG reaffirms support for COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy, challenging recent CDC recommendations and emphasizing maternal and fetal health.

ACOG updated its vaccine recommendations to include Covid-19 claiming any form of the vaccine can be delivered during pregnancy.
Stock.adobe.com

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) updated its recommendation for pregnant patients, saying any Covid-19 vaccine can be delivered along with other vaccines. ACOG becomes the second major professional medical association to break away from current U.S. CDC recommendations this week.

“While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently removed its recommendation that pregnant and lactating individuals receive updated COVID-19 vaccines, ACOG’s recommendations have not changed,” according to the updated practice advisory. “The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists continue to recommend the use of updated COVID-19 vaccines in individuals contemplating pregnancy and in pregnant, recently pregnant, and lactating individuals.”¹

HHS’ change in recommendations on Covid-19 vaccines

Back in May of this year, U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced Covid-19 vaccines are no longer included among recommended vaccines for pregnant women and healthy children in CDC immunization schedules. This decision bypassed standard government processes for evaluating and recommending vaccines to the public along with Kennedy not offering any scientific evidence to justify the change.¹

Recommendations from ACOG say, “all clinicians should provide a strong recommendation for updated COVID-19 vaccination to their pregnant and lactating patients. Vaccinations can occur in any trimester, with an emphasis on the earliest opportunity to maximize maternal and fetal health, and any of the available Covid-19 vaccines can be delivered simultaneously with other vaccines recommended during pregnancy, including those against influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).”²

ACOG’s advisory also references multiple CDC sources, emphasizing the safety and efficacy of Covid-19 vaccination during pregnancy, and notes the increased risk that pregnant women and infants face from Covid-19 infections.

On August 19, 2025, The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released its updated recommendations on vaccines, which supported Covid-19 vaccines for children and directly criticized the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, saying it’s made up of “individuals who have a history of spreading vaccine misinformation.”

Rising tension between ACOG and federal health agencies

ACOG recently announced a refusal of federal funding due to recent changes that “significantly impact ACOG’s program goals, policy positions, and ability to provide timely and evidence-based guidance and recommendations for care.” ACOG also announced its partnership with an independent group of experts titled The Vaccine Integrity Project. This partnership is aimed to develop maternal immunization guidance in the absence of “historically robust government-led annual review of data and subsequent evidence-based recommendations.”¹

ACOG President, Dr. Steven Fleischman, spoke on ACOG’s decision to stray away from federal assistance, saying, “The meeting of the newly reconstructed Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) demonstrated that the committee did not follow the longstanding tradition of robust, unbiased review of reputable scientific evidence by medical and public health experts. The data presented to ACIP affirm why ACOG continues to recommend safe, effective maternal vaccination. If ACIP responded to the data as presented in a way that values medical evidence and public health, the government’s recommendation for COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy would be restored and support for maternal vaccination would be unwavering.”¹

ACOG and AAP’s call to action

Following the abrupt alterations to the federal Covid-19 vaccine schedule, multiple healthcare organizations including ACOG and AAP, pushed for continued access and insurance coverage or the vaccines in an open letter which calls for “payers and insurers to continue making the COVID-19 vaccine available to pregnant people without undue utilization management or cost-sharing requirements.”²

Pregnancy is still listed as a risk factor for Covid-19 vaccine shots on the CDC’s website, meanwhile HHS hasn’t responded to ACOG’s recommendations. A spokesperson issued a statement saying, “HHS and CDC will continue to be the official resource for any guidance.”¹

Sources

Another major medical association breaks from CDC as ob/gyn group recommends Covid-19 vaccines during pregnancy CNN August 22, 2025 https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/22/health/covid-vaccine-pregnancy-acog-recommendations
New federal Covid-19 vaccine policies are already keeping some people from getting shots CNN June 12, 2025 https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/12/health/covid-vaccine-pregnant-women

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