What You Need to Know About Delta Variants If You Are Pregnant

CNN
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Covid-19 delta variants dominate cases worldwide, and health officials in some countries have warned of their effects on pregnant women.

Some of the UK’s highest health authorities issued a joint statement on Friday urging pregnant women to be vaccinated against the coronavirus.They pointed out New data It shows that 98% of pregnant women hospitalized with Covid-19 in Japan since May were unvaccinated.

The World Health Organization (WHO) also previously infected pregnant women Face an increase Risk of developing severe Covid-19 compared to non-pregnant women of the same age.

One concern is that Delta strains, which have been shown to be more contagious and potentially cause more serious illness compared to early variants of the virus, may be at even higher risk. Is to have.

Here’s what you need to know:

Delta mutants are more contagious and can cause more serious illness in everyone, including pregnant women.

The latest data collected by the UK Obstetric Surveillance System (UKOSS) showed that the number of pregnant women hospitalized in Covid-19 for Delta strains is increasing in the UK.

Andrew Shennan, an obstetrics professor at King’s College London, said in a statement to the UK’s Science Media Center, “Compared to the original Covid virus, new variants (alpha, then delta) are increasingly heavy on pregnant women. It caused a serious illness. ” “This includes the need for ventilation, intensive care unit admission, and pneumonia, which are more likely to occur in more than 50%,” he added.

Data collected by UKOSS show that approximately 33% of women hospitalized with Covid-19 needed respiratory assistance and 15% needed intensive care.

UKOSS data includes only pregnant women. However, the group states that while the increase in hospitalizations is broadly consistent with the current increase in Covid-19 hospitalizations in the UK population, the data highlight an increase in pregnant women in need of acute symptomatology care. rice field.

Previous studies have shown that Covid-19 infection increases the risk of adverse effects on both mothers and babies. These risks include pre-eclampsia, infections, hospital admission to the intensive care unit, and even death.

according to April study published in JAMA Pediatrics A study of more than 2,000 pregnant women at 43 medical institutions in 18 countries found that babies born to mothers infected with the coronavirus were also at slightly higher risk of preterm birth and low birth weight.

New data collected by UKOSS showed that one in five women hospitalized with severe Covid-19 symptoms continued to give birth prematurely, doubling the chances of giving birth by caesarean section. One in five babies born to mothers with coronavirus symptoms was admitted to the neonatal ward.

Yes. Studies and actual data have shown that pregnant people or their babies have no particular safety concerns regarding taking the Covid-19 vaccine.

“Hundreds of thousands of pregnant women around the world have been vaccinated to safely and effectively protect themselves from Covid and dramatically reduce the risk of serious illness and harm to their babies,” said Royal in the United Kingdom. Gill Walton, CEO of the College of Midwives, said. Said in a statement on Friday.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States, Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization in the United Kingdom, Technical Advisory Group on Immunization in Australia All Advise pregnant women to get Covid-19 shots. The WHO states that pregnant women need to be vaccinated in situations where the benefits of vaccination outweigh the potential risks, such as when living in areas with high cases.

Some countries prioritize immunization of pregnant people. The Australian Government has stated that anyone who is pregnant and 16 years of age or older can be vaccinated now, but due to the slow deployment of the vaccine, the general public is currently vaccinated. Only for people over 40 years old.

Ontario and British Columbia, Canada, also prioritize vaccination of pregnant people.

However, the situation is mixed all over the world.according to data Currently 20 countries recommend the use of pregnant Covid-19 shots collected by Johns Hopkins University (JHU), but 39 countries allow it.

In addition, 33 countries have granted vaccines in some circumstances. For example, a pregnant mother may be at high risk of becoming infected with Covid-19 for work, or may be in underlying health at risk of developing a serious illness.

According to JHU data, 51 countries do not recommend vaccines during pregnancy at all, or only under certain conditions. Countries include Germany, which cited the lack of safety data as the reason for its position because pregnant people were not part of the safety trial.

WHO recommends vaccination of women who are breastfeeding and states that women should not stop breastfeeding for vaccination because shots are unlikely to pose a risk to their babies. rice field.

The myth about the Covid-19 vaccine, which affects infertility and damages the placenta, is swirling on social media, but scientists are clear. These have no scientific basis.

I have There is no biological basis behind the claim The Covid-19 vaccine can harm the placenta, the organ that provides oxygen and nutrients for babies growing during pregnancy.

Dr. Richard Beigi, a member of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ Immunization, Infectious Disease, and Public Health Preparedness Expert Work Group, said:There is no clear scientific reason Think of new vaccines as causing childbirth problems. ”

Similarly, the shot does not contain the live Covid-19 virus, so it is impossible to catch the coronavirus from the vaccine.

According to official advice from the United Kingdom National Health Service, “You can’t catch Covid-19 from a vaccine and you can’t give it to your baby through breast milk.”

In fact, research shows that most pregnant women vaccinated with Pfizer / BioNTech and Moderna Covid-19 vaccines Passed protective antibody For newborns measured in breast milk and placenta.