Getting vaccinated costs people a couple of days of not feeling 100%. In return, it provides protection from contracting a serious disease with the potential to cause serious illness or death. Being vaccinated also gives crossover protection to an unborn child. COVID-19 infection, on the other hand, puts pregnant women at risk of severe disease, pregnancy complications and death. It may also affect a couple’s ability to have children by decreasing a man’s sperm counts and causing erectile dysfunction. The science is clear, but for me this is also deeply personal. My wife was vaccinated in March, and we are expecting a baby in December. We are both deeply grateful for a vaccine that has given us the confidence to support a healthy pregnancy in the midst of a pandemic. Matthew Woodruff, Instructor of Human Immunology, Emory University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.