Covid Jab-Telegraph India for future mothers

Frequently asked questions about pregnancy during Covid-19 were recently addressed by the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (RCOG) and the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (RCM) in London. They shed light on the problems that have plagued people. I wanted to know about Covid-19 vaccination in the context of pregnancy and breastfeeding, but I didn’t know who to ask.

# About the safety of vaccination during pregnancy and lactation:

A recommendation from the Government of India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare states that pregnancy and breastfeeding are contraindicated for Covid-19 vaccination. It is based on the principle that there are no dates available to ensure safety during pregnancy. Both Indian vaccine manufacturers say the same in their product documentation. This is also relevant in that vaccination in India was initiated in “trial mode”.

Testing of the Covid-19 vaccine in pregnant and lactating women has not yet been done in the first trials worldwide. However, there have been no reports of adverse effects on women who were mistakenly vaccinated before they knew they were pregnant. The decision to vaccinate during pregnancy remains personal. However, if you are already pregnant, or if you plan to become pregnant naturally or by treatment, it will definitely help your doctor make informed choices about whether to get the Covid-19 vaccine. ..

# Whether vaccines are specifically recommended for certain groups of women during or before pregnancy:

Covid-19 vaccination should be provided to the following groups of women as a pre-pregnancy and pre-pregnancy priority:

1. People who have a high-risk medical condition and are at high risk of serious illness due to Covid-19 infection.

2. Healthcare or social care frontline workers at high risk of becoming infected with Covid-19 during or before pregnancy.

3. Risk of Covid-19 due to health and personal factors including age (35+), obesity (BMI> 30kg / m2), and related health conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, asthma People who are considered to have high immunity-related problems.

# About the benefits of the Covid-19 vaccine during pregnancy:

Vaccination is effective in preventing Covid-19 infection during pregnancy. Studies show that hospitalization and serious illness from Covid-19 infection may be more common in pregnant women. This is true for people in late or late pregnancy, who are three times more likely to have a preterm birth and can affect the long-term health of their newborn. Therefore, Covid-19 vaccination can protect both mothers and newborns from many related complications.

Whether # Covid-19 vaccination can harm pregnant women:

The Covid-19 vaccine does not contain live coronavirus, so it does not cause infection in pregnant women. In addition, it does not contain additional ingredients that are harmful to pregnant women and their foets.

The same principles apply to Covid-19, as other inactivated and toxoid-based vaccines (whooping cough, flu, tetanus) are considered safe for pregnant women and their foets.

# About the risk of Covid-19 vaccination:

There is still limited evidence of the safety of the Covid-19 vaccine for pregnant women, as it was not included in the initial trial. However, more than 35,000 pregnant women have been vaccinated with the Covid-19 vaccine (mRNA vaccine by Pfizer BioNTech or Moderna) and have not raised any safety concerns, so data from the US V-safe registry is in this regard. I am relieved. Therefore, recent recommendations suggest that the Covid-19 vaccine should not be withheld from pregnant individuals.

Due to the variety of vaccines used in India (Covishield is an adenoviral vector vaccine and Covaxin is an inactivated / inactivated whole-virus vaccine), you should not expect results similar to mRNA vaccines. .. Therefore, WHO proposes to vaccinate only pregnant women who are at high risk of being infected with the virus and who may develop serious complications of Covid-19 infection.

There is still no evidence that the vaccine can harm the mother or her newborn. However, it remains to be seen whether maternal vaccination can provide passive immunity to newborns. With no such evidence available, there are still concerns about the long-term safety of the vaccine. Nevertheless, short-term profits, if any, far exceed long-term limits.

# Best time to take Covid-19 jab during pregnancy:

The Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Vaccinations (JCVI) advises that women do not need a pregnancy test prior to vaccination and women planning to become pregnant do not need to delay pregnancy after vaccination. ..

The vaccine should work regardless of the stage of pregnancy. Some women choose to postpone the vaccine until the first 12 weeks (early pregnancy), which is most important for baby development, as Covid-19 infection causes more serious complications in late pregnancy (late pregnancy). May be done. They plan to take the first dose at any time after 13 weeks and complete the second dose 28 weeks in advance.

Consider vaccination if you are at high risk of becoming infected with Covid-19 or developing serious disease-related complications. Before making a final decision on this emotional and practical problem during pregnancy, you should discuss the benefits and risks of vaccination, including possible side effects, with your healthcare professional.