Federal regulations include additional protection for certain so-called vulnerable populations, including pregnant women and fetuses. These restrictions run the risk of being unethical by discouraging, or disallowing, people who might benefit from research to participate in it, according to the author of a recent Washington Post opinion column. Sarah N. Cross writes that pregnant women were done a disservice by being excluded from COVID-19 vaccine trials. The lack of early safety and efficacy data in this population put people at risk by depressing vaccination rates in this group, she claims.
Whether you agree with her or not, she raises several points worthy of consideration.