Georgia “health freedom” group shares 2018 social media post falsely claiming that vaccination during pregnancy is unsafe

A “health freedom” group in Georgia recently shared a 2018 social media post criticizing the Electronic Fetal Death Registration System for not recording pregnant people’s vaccination history. The post’s author claimed to be a death certificate clerk and argued that pregnant people who got vaccinated were “risking their child’s life with an experimental medical treatment.” As of June 18, the original 2018 post received hundreds of reactions and comments and over 1,200 shares. Comments on both the original and reshared versions of the post falsely claim that vaccines are dangerous and suggest that fetal death certificates should always list the pregnant person’s vaccine status.

Recommendation: Vaccine opponents often share false and misleading claims about the risks of vaccines to pregnant people and their babies to discourage vaccination. These conversations provide an opportunity for health agencies, community-based organizations, and other partners to educate target populations about the importance of vaccination during pregnancy. Messaging may emphasize that pregnancy increases susceptibility to certain vaccine-preventable diseases that also pose a risk to newborns. Vaccines recommended and given during pregnancy are safe and protect pregnant people and their babies from severe illness during pregnancy and after birth.