TAMPA - Should pregnant women get the COVID-19 vaccine?

Pregnant women are considered higher risk for developing serious illnesses from the virus - however for many it’s still a tough call to make because of a lack of data.

If you’re pregnant or thinking about it, chances are you’ve probably talked about the COVID-19 vaccine at home or with a friend. 

Spectrum News caught up with two Bay Area moms as they discussed their decisions. 

Ameana Sproul and Hanna Rewerts have been best friends for a long time.

They have a lot in common, but in some ways they’re very different. Take the COVID-19 vaccine for example.

“There’s not enough long term studies yet to show the effects it could have,” said Sproul.

Ameana is a stay at home mom with an 18-months-old daughter and is five months pregnant. 

“Although I’m super thrilled about the vaccine and everyone else getting vaccinated, I’m definitely choosing to not get vaccinated while I'm pregnant or the year after while I’m nursing,” she said.

However, for Hanna it’s different. 

“I chose to get it because I felt like that was the safest thing for me to do for myself, my family, and the patients that I’m treating,” Rewerts said.

Hanna is a physical therapist and goes into patients’ home who are at risk. She and her partner have a 6-month-old at home and will be trying for another baby next month.

Hanna plans to carry the baby. 

“We’ll have two under two for a little bit,” she said.

Hanna says even if she was pregnant right now, she’d still get the vaccine.

"It was the right choice for me,” she said.

“It’s a tough decision for anyone,” said Dr. Mary Ashley Cain. Dr. Cain works in maternal and fetal medicine at USF Health.

She says moms-to-be should ask themselves questions.

“Am I somebody who is in a high risk profession, am I going to be able to socially distance while I’m pregnant?,” said Cain.

Data is still limited because pregnant women were not included in original trials, however some information is coming through.

“Over 30,000 women who have registered with the CDC who are pregnant and got the vaccine, on those early numbers we are not seeing an increased rate of adverse pregnancy outcomes from them,” Cain said.

Cain added that since the components of the vaccine are broken down very quickly, it’s not expected to cause any issues for a growing fetus.

She also says there is no data to suggest an impact on fertility and that there is no reason to delay getting pregnant after you get the vaccine.