This article was medically reviewed by Carolyn Swenson, MD, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology and member of the Prevention Medical Review Board.
Since the advent of the COVID-19 vaccines, there is uncertainty about whether they are safe for pregnant women or not. The reason: Early clinical trials of the vaccine did not include pregnant or breastfeeding women, making it impossible to determine for sure whether it is safe for them to be vaccinated.
Memory: Pregnant people are at increased risk of serious illness from COVID-19, along with an increased risk of other side effects, such as premature birth, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
At a recent press conference, Anthony Fauci, MD, the country ‘s leading infectious disease expert, said that clinical trials for pregnant women (and children) are ongoing, so responses should be more We’ll be sure of it soon. And in the meantime, about 20,000 pregnant women have received the COVID-19 vaccine “without red flags,” Dr Fauci said.
These revelations are promising but if you are pregnant (or have someone you like), you may still be wondering if it is a good idea for pregnant women to get vaccinated. Here’s what you need to know.
How does the COVID-19 vaccine work, again?
Both Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines use a newer technology called messenger RNA, or mRNA, which is the genetic material of the virus, according to the CDC. (Note: It is not the virus itself – just the genetic coding of the virus no making you sick with COVID-19.)
The mRNA tells your body how to make a spike protein, which the novel coronavirus uses to pierce human cells. When your body starts pumping out spike proteins, your system sees them as foreign and produces antibodies that are unique to the coronavirus. Your body eventually destroys both the protein and the mRNA, but the antibodies stick around, protecting you from COVID-19 if you get an infection in the future.
What do public health organizations say about getting the COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy or breastfeeding?
This is where things get messy. Both the American College of Dentists and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the CDC have strongly stated that pregnant or breastfeeding women should receive the COVID-19 vaccine, if they want it. However, both groups are short-lived in recommending that pregnant women get vaccinated.
At the same time, the World Health Organization (WHO) advised women the face getting the vaccine. However, at the end of January, the group reviewed its recommendation, saying: “Given what we know about this type of vaccine, we have no particular reason to believe that there are particular risks. would outweigh the benefits of vaccination for pregnant women. . ”
Before receiving the vaccine, ACOG recommends that pregnant women talk to their doctor about the following:
- the level of activity of the virus in the community
- the effectiveness of the possible vaccination for them
- risk and severity of maternal disease, including the effects of disease on the fetus and newborn
- safety of the vaccine for the pregnant patient and the fetus
However, the ACOG also says that talking to your doctor should not be “necessary,” as it can cause “unnecessary obstructions” to the vaccine.
So, is it safe for pregnant or breastfeeding women to get the COVID-19 vaccine?
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“Without any data available in pregnant or lactating people, it is difficult to recommend an intervention,” says Emily S Miller, MD, MPH, assistant professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern Medicine.
But based on what has been studied so far, “there is no reason to think that pregnant women or the fetus would be at risk of getting the COVID-19 vaccine,” said William Schaffner, MD, a disease specialist. infectious and professor at the Vanderbilt School of Medicine University. And, he says, studies have not found animals of serious concern.
“Everything we know about the vaccine shows that it should be safe,” says Dr Schaffner. “The RNA in the vaccine does not come close to human DNA – either maternal or fetus.”
Statements from public health organizations (such as the WHO) have been cautious but “everything we have seen from women who were clinically tested or who were pregnant and who have been vaccinated is encouraging,” she said. infectious disease specialist Amesh A. Adalja, MD, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.
Public health officials and organizations, including the ACOG, are “doing the best they can with what they need to work with,” explained Michael Cackovic, MD, maternal fetal medicine physician at Ohio State Wexner Medical Center. “They say, ‘We don’t have the data to make that recommendation, and that’s right.”
At the same time, Dr Cackovic says that this type of vaccine is thought to be safer for pregnant women than other types of vaccine. “The COVID-19 mRNA vaccine does not contain live virus, and these types of vaccines are considered more compatible in pregnancy, as they work by stimulating a host’s immune response,” he says. explain.
In addition, the fact that pregnant women are at high risk of serious complications from COVID-19 makes the vaccine at least worth considering, says Joanne Stone, MD, director of the maternal fetal medicine department for Mount Sinai Health System in New York. “The benefits seem to outweigh the risks, although talking to a healthcare professional may help to make an individual decision,” she explains. “And it is important that women are kept informed of the lack of vaccine safety data in pregnant women. ”
Bottom line: Pregnant women should talk to their doctor about the COVID-19 vaccine.
Now that pregnant women are now being vaccinated, Dr Cackovic says “ongoing discussions with your doctor should include published information safety, effectiveness and access to the vaccine during pregnancy. ”
Dr. Adalja agrees. “I think this is a decision between a doctor and a patient,” he says. “However, most women who are pregnant should be vaccinated.”
This article is inaccurate from the media era. However, as the COVID-19 pandemic grows rapidly and the scientific community’s understanding of the novel coronavirus develops, some of the information may have changed since it was last updated. While we aim to maintain all of our stories, visit online resources from the CDC, WHO, and for local public health department to stay up to date with the latest news. Always consult your doctor for professional medical advice.
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