- Pregnant people need to decide if they should get the bullet and protect themselves from a potentially life-threatening disease, or keep away until more data is available.
- Pregnant people with the coronavirus have a higher chance of being admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU), receiving mechanical ventilation, or dying.
- Messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines are thought to be safe for pregnant women.
As the COVID-19 vaccine continues, pregnant people need to check their own medical history and risk factors to see if they feel ready for the shot. get.
The vaccines have not been studied in pregnant women with clinical trials, leaving little safety data to work with.
If you are pregnant, you need to decide if the bullet is the right call for you.
Although the overall risk of COVID-19 infection is low, pregnant people with a coronavirus have a higher chance of being admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU), receiving mechanical ventilation, or dying.
Of the 4.2 million Americans who have already received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, many heavy health care workers have felt their personal risks from contracting COVID-19 outweighs any potential dangers in the picture, which are widely considered safe in pregnant women.
“Between the two options for vaccination against COVID, women need to make a choice that is in line with their own values and the circumstances in which they work and live,” said Dr. Lauren Demosthenes, OB-GYN and senior medical director with Babyscripts.
Pregnant people have
Pregnant people have not been included in the vaccine tests, so there is little data on how pregnant women respond to the COVID-19 vaccines.
That said, messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines are thought to be safe for pregnant women.
According to Dr. Henry Bernstein, a pediatrician at Cohen Northwell Health Children’s Medical Center and a committee member of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (ACIP) Advisory Committee, mRNA vaccines are rapidly broken down and reduced in the body. .
They are not live vaccines, do not enter the nucleus of our cells, and do not alter our DNA.
The vaccine also does not appear to reach and cross the placenta, according to Dr. Christian Pettker, a high-risk pregnancy specialist at Yale Medicine and professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences at Medicine Yale.
“Based on current knowledge, experts believe that mRNA vaccines do not pose a risk to pregnant women,” said Pettker.
Some people report minor side effects after receiving the vaccine, such as fatigue and mild fever.
These side effects simply indicate that the immune system is working, and are not a sign of something more dangerous.
Pregnant people with moderate fever after the picture may consider taking acetaminophen.
“Maybe you have a sore arm or feel a bit ‘flu-like’ – or even a temperature run. This is perfectly fine and you can take acetaminophen and rest until these side effects wear off in a day or two, ”said Demosthenes.
The American College of Lawyers and Gynecologists (ACOG) says the vaccine should not be withheld from people who are lactating or pregnant.
ACOG also says the vaccine is not believed to cause infertility, miscarriage, neonatal harm, or harm to pregnant women, Demosthenes said.
“Women trying to conceive should feel comfortable with their decision to be vaccinated and if they should give birth, they should receive a second dose at 3 weeks, ”Said Demosthenes.
Ultimately, choosing whether or not to get the vaccine is a personal decision.
“Women need to think about the extent of community transmission where they live, what their personal risk is of manifesting their own disease,” Bernstein said.
It is also crucial to consider other underlying health conditions – such as obesity, diabetes, or lung disease – that may increase the risk of COVID-19 abuse, Pettker noted.
“This is not a simple conversation or suggestion. It should be a personal debate in which decision-making was shared, ”said Pettker.
Bernstein says the best thing to do is have a conversation with their obstetrician if they are thinking of getting the bullet.
“They should write down their questions or concerns in the hope that they will be addressed through the conversation with their obstetrician,” Bernstein said.
With very little safety data available on how pregnant people react to the COVID-19 vaccine, anyone who is overweight needs to consider the risks and benefits and decide if they are feeling down. comfortable getting the bullet.
The COVID-19 vaccines, which use a technology called messenger RNA (mRNA), are thought to be safe in pregnant or lactating people.
Those who are pregnant and considering getting vaccinated should talk to their doctor about what is best for them.