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Opinion: FDA: Leave the door open to Covid-19 vaccination for pregnant and lactating health workers
On Thursday, the FDA will review the near-term fate of the Pfizer/BioNtech Covid-19 vaccine. It is likely that the FDA will grant emergency use authorization for the vaccine, just as its British regulatory counterpart, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), did last week.
The FDA should part company with the MHRA, however, when it comes to use of the vaccine by pregnant and lactating people. The MHRA has advised against offering the vaccine to those who are pregnant and breastfeeding, regardless of their circumstances. As the FDA develops its position, we urge it to consider more permissive language that acknowledges information gaps but still permits some high-risk pregnant or lactating individuals to get the vaccine.
