Key facts
- The American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists (ACOG) has issued its own maternal vaccine schedule.
- ACOG's recommendations diverge from the latest guidance by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
- The ACOG schedule recommends four vaccines during pregnancy: flu, COVID-19, Tdap, and RSV.
- The CDC's recent overhaul of its maternal vaccine schedule no longer routinely recommends COVID-19 and seasonal influenza vaccinations for healthy pregnant individuals.
- Thirteen medical societies and health organizations endorse ACOG's new schedule.
The American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists (ACOG) has released its own maternal vaccine schedule, marking the first time the group has diverged from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) guidance. This new schedule includes recommendations for flu, COVID-19, tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap), and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines during pregnancy.
The divergence from the CDC's updated guidance, which no longer routinely recommends COVID-19 and seasonal influenza vaccines for healthy pregnant individuals, has been attributed to changes influenced by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ACOG withdrew from a CDC advisory committee earlier this year due to these changes.
Dr. Christopher Zahn, ACOG's chief of clinical practice, stated the group decided to release its own schedule to provide clear, evidence-based guidance and combat growing vaccine misinformation. The schedule is endorsed by 13 other professional and medical societies, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians. Healthcare providers report significant vaccine hesitancy among patients, often fueled by misinformation spread on social media.