Pregnancy, breastfeeding and the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine: an ethics-based framework for shared decision-making

In Dec 2020, the Canadian National Advisory Committee on Immunization recommended that the vaccine against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) should not be routinely offered to individuals who are pregnant or breastfeeding until further evidence is available, but can be considered in certain scenarios where the benefits are deemed to outweigh the risks Guidance from specialist bodies in the US, however, recommends against withholding the SARS-CoV-2 vaccination from individuals who are pregnant or breastfeeding Here, Zipursky et al propose that people who are pregnant (including those trying to conceive) or breastfeeding should be offered the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine on ethical grounds, and discuss how health care providers and patients can use a shared decision-making approach to guide these discussions