Can I get vaccinated against coronavirus during pregnancy? Which vaccines are safe for mom and fetus? What is the best trimester to get the Covid-19 vaccine?
Mass vaccination against coronavirus in Ukraine continues. As of today, almost 3.5 million people have been vaccinated with one or two doses of the vaccine. Human. Vaccination is not denied to almost anyone, with the exception of pregnant women. Indeed, until recently, it was not known for certain what risks the Covid-19 vaccine carries for the mother and the unborn child. Some of the pregnant women were looking for workarounds and vaccinated at their own peril and risk, while others were waiting for the results of authoritative research. Such a document appeared in the public domain just a few days ago. The leadership of the British Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (RCOG) has released new recommendations for vaccination of pregnant women.
Chief of these recommendations: pregnancynot a contraindication for vaccination. A woman can be denied in a position only if there are not enough vaccines for citizens from the primary risk group. Moreover, the RCOG classifies pregnant women as just such a group and advises them to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
Such conclusions are not taken from the ceiling. They are based on the third (final) phase of clinical trials for Covid-19 vaccines approved in the UK. In addition, the RCOG analyzed the experience of the United States: more than 120 thousand people have received coronavirus vaccinations there recently. pregnant women. Vaccines in these studies were evaluated on a number of indicators, such as the effectiveness of protection against severe disease, safety and the presence of side effects.
Which vaccine is suitable for pregnant women
Certain vaccines are advised for pregnant women / istockphoto.com
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine showed the highest efficiency against the symptomatic course of the coronavirus and the complications of the disease (95%). It is followed by Moderna (94%), then Oxford-Astra Zeneca (almost 67%) and Janssen (66%). The side effects of all vaccines were approximately the same: for several days the vaccinated complained of fatigue, muscle pain and headache. Approximately one in ten had a fever after vaccination, but this side effect also "went away" within 2-3 days after vaccination.
Based on this, the RCOG recommends that pregnant women choose Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna when choosing a vaccine. By the way, it is with these vaccines that all women in the position are vaccinated in the United States. Only if the pregnant woman has already received the first dose of the Oxford Astra Zeneca vaccine, the procedure must be completed with this particular type of vaccine.
Side effects of the vaccine in pregnant women
Nausea is one of the side effects of vaccinations in pregnant women / istockphoto.com
Neither the US nor the UK have found any specific side effects that are common in pregnant women after vaccination. The short-term symptoms were exactly the same as for all the other vaccinated. Interestingly, pregnant women were less likely to complain of fever and fever after vaccination. At the same time, after the introduction of the second dose of Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna, they were more likely to experience nausea and urge to vomit.
The complication of thrombosis, which many people fear, rarely occurs after the Oxford Astra Zeneca vaccine. However, scientists did not find any evidence that pregnancy increases the risk of thrombosis after vaccination. Just in case, pregnant women and people under 40 are advised to choose a different vaccine. However, again, if the first dose was given by Oxford Astra Zeneca, the vaccination must be completed on that.
Exactly the same conclusions were made for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. In rare cases, it can cause myocarditis and pericarditis (inflammation of the cardiovascular system). For pregnant women, this risk is in no way increased, scientists say. Moreover, none of the pregnant women vaccinated in the United States with this type of vaccine had this complication.
At what stage of pregnancy can you be vaccinated?
It is better to get vaccinated against Covid-19 from the second trimester / istockphoto.com
It is better to get vaccinated against Covid-19 from the second trimester / istockphoto.com
Until recently, women in a position were not advised to be vaccinated against Covid-19 in the first trimester. There were concerns that getting vaccinated so early would increase risk of miscarriage or it can provoke some kind of abnormalities in the development of the fetus. However, studies say the gestational age is irrelevant for the vaccine. The likelihood of miscarriage, premature birth and abnormalities in the development of the child in pregnant women after vaccination is no greater than without it.
However, if the risk of contracting coronavirus in a woman's environment is not too high, the RCOG advises to postpone vaccination until the 12th week of pregnancy. But if the epidemiological environment is dangerous, it is better not to wait and go for vaccination in the near future, regardless of the timing.
Effects of vaccination on mother and fetus
After vaccination of the mother, the child develops antibodies to Covid-19 / istockphoto.com
Vaccination protects a pregnant woman from a problematic course of the disease and the development of complications in the same way as a non-pregnant woman. There is no evidence that the vaccine acts worse or better on a woman in a position. But the child, after the mother's vaccination, has congenital antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in the blood. True, it is still unknown how well such a passive immunity protects the baby from infection.
Antibodies to coronavirus after vaccination also appear in a woman's breast milk. There is evidence that they can be transmitted to a child through breastfeeding for at least 10 months after delivery. By the way, lactation and breastfeeding are also not considered a contraindication for vaccination. On the recommendation of the RCOG, nursing mothers can be vaccinated at any time without interrupting the feed.
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