ACOG Leads Coalition of 20 Medical Organizations in Amicus Brief Stressing Safety, Efficacy of COVID-19 Vaccines

Washington, D.C. - The American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists (ACOG) today led a coalition of 20 organizations in filing an amicus brief in support of the plaintiffs in the case of American Academy of Pediatrics vs. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. The coalition consists of national medical organizations representing physicians, nurses, scientists, researchers, and other medical professionals recognizing the importance of access to the COVID-19 vaccine. The brief also calls for government recommendations regarding the COVID-19 vaccine to reflect the full body of medical evidence and follow the statutorily mandated process for the provision of vaccine guidance.

"The Secretary's Directive ignores the proven safety and effectiveness of the COVID vaccine in these categories of patients, needlessly placing them at greater risk of facing […] severe adverse outcomes," the coalition assert in the brief. "In turn, these risks have cascading negative effects on a patient's loved ones, communities, and providers."

The brief explains that pregnant people and infants are at greater risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19 infection and stresses that vaccination against COVID-19 is the best tool to avoid those outcomes. COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy not only protects the pregnant person but also provides critical protection to the infant after birth, before they are able to receive the vaccine themselves.

The brief also includes the totality of the evidence demonstrating the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine for pregnant women, their fetuses, and their infants after delivery. Data have soundly confirmed that receiving the COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy does not lead to fertility issues, pregnancy loss, or fetal harm. The coalition also stresses that the vaccine is safe for administration to children and helps to protect them from severe outcomes.

"As an ob-gyn, many of my patients have asked me questions about complications that they have inaccurately been told are associated with the vaccine, but the truth is that COVID vaccination actually protects against just those complications-for example, preterm birth or miscarriage-that COVID infection can cause," said Steven J. Fleischman, MD, MBA, FACOG, president of ACOG. "When HHS changes government recommendations without warning and in a way that disregards what the science actually says, my patients are going to experience even more confusion when they make decisions about the health of their families."

"By overlooking the full body of evidence garnered from numerous studies and real-world use involving millions of people, the HHS directive has the potential to threaten the health and lives of our patients across the country," said Sandra E. Brooks, MD, MBA, FACOG, chief executive officer of ACOG. "We are increasingly concerned about the way these actions undermine scientific evidence, foster mistrust in science, and compromise the willingness of people to become vaccinated to protect themselves and others."