• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
College of Midwives of Ontario

College of Midwives of Ontario

  • About
    • Council and Elections
    • Council Meetings
    • Governance Education Modules
    • Accountability Reports
  • Midwives
    • Apply for Registration
    • Maintaining Your Registration
    • Forms for Midwives
    • Internationally Educated Midwives
    • Professional Corporations
    • Conduct, Complaints, and Concerns
    • Registrant Portal
  • Standards & Resources
    • Scope of Practice
    • Standards of Practice
    • Policies and Legislation
    • Guides and Publications
    • Consultations and Surveys
    • Professional Practice Advice
    • Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
  • Clients & the Public
    • What to Expect From a Midwife
    • How We Work Together
    • Midwife Status Check
    • Complaints and Concerns about a Midwife
  • News
  • Contact
  • Midwife Directory
  • Registrant Portal
  • Complaints and Concerns
Home News Providing Vaccination Information to Midwifery Clients

Providing Vaccination Information to Midwifery Clients

Only 60% of pregnant patients in Ontario were fully vaccinated as of Oct. 3, according to the ICES COVID-19 dashboard—much lower than the 81% of the general eligible population at that time.

As trusted health care professionals, midwives have the opportunity to support their clients in accessing information about the COVID vaccine.

The College reminds midwives that they are required under the Professional Standards for Midwives to cite verifiable, evidence-based information from reliable sources when communicating with their clients about issues related to the pandemic and vaccination. 

Relevant information

The Ministry of Health recommends all pregnant people in the authorized age group are vaccinated as soon as possible, at any stage in pregnancy, as COVID-19 infection during pregnancy can be severe (increased risk for hospitalization, ICU admission, mechanical ventilation, and death compared to non-pregnant people).

Vaccination may be considered at any gestational age, including the first trimester. While pregnant people were not included in Phase III trials for COVID-19 vaccines, real-world safety data for hundreds of thousands of pregnant individuals that have received COVID-19 vaccines did not reveal any safety signals.

COVID-19 vaccines can also be safely given to breastfeeding individuals. Recent data shows that mRNA from vaccines do not transfer into breast milk. Anti-COVID-19 antibodies produced by the breastfeeding person have been shown to transfer through the milk and provide protection to the infant.

Tools to support your clients’ decision making

  • COVID-19 vaccines in pregnancy (Ministry of Health)
  • COVID-19 Vaccination: Special Populations – Vaccination in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding Decision-Making Tool for Pregnant Individuals (Ministry of Health)
  • COVID-19 and Pregnancy: Information at your Fingertips (multilingual) (Prenatal Screening Ontario)

Stay connected with us

Consent
  • Registrant Portal
  • Midwife Directory
  • Contact Us
  • Complaints and Concerns

College of Midwives of Ontario
21 St Clair Ave E #303
Toronto, ON
M4T 1L9
(416) 640-2252

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn

Copyright © 2023 College of Midwives Ontario

  • Privacy
  • Accessibility

Built by