Experts say that for pregnant Canadians, one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine is better than nothing.

Toronto-Some pregnant Canadians may not be fully vaccinated by the due date due to the long dosing intervals.

Many states are at increased risk of severe illness and prioritize immunization of pregnant people with COVID-19. Give the antibody to the babysHowever, some parents who are about to give birth are worried about taking a second dose before giving birth.

“I immediately calculated where to get pregnant at 16-week intervals. I had 25 weeks on the first dose. 16 weeks will be 41 weeks,” Kristen Goettlicher emailed CTVNews.ca on Friday. Told.

As a technician at the Medical Research Institute in Thunder Bay, Ontario, she was able to receive her first dose as a mandatory worker in early March. Now she’s worried that her body is coping well at that time, and adding a second shot to the mix may be too much.

“Whether this baby is early, on time or late, my body will be preparing for childbirth or recovering,” she said.

And from those who know she took the second dose, it is often accompanied by fever and malaise, and she does not want to risk runaway during labor.

However, birth experts say that a single dose is better than doing nothing.

“Women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant due to a lot of confusion should be vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine,” Dr. Kate Lindan, partner and co-director of the Pacific Center for Reproductive Medicine, told CTV News. Ca in a zoom interview on Friday.

Parents pass passive antibodies to the foetation, so a single dose can help protect both the parent and the baby, she added.

“These IgG antibodies pass through the placenta to reach the baby, and the baby gets the antibody from the mother before the baby acquires its own immunity, which can provide some protection during the neonatal period. “She said.

The National Advisory Board on Immunization (NACI) “Complete vaccine series” Use of COVID-19 vaccine in pregnant people, preference for mRNA vaccine. Dr. Caroline Quach of NACI introduced CTV News.ca to Health Canada when asked to explain the recommendations. Health Canada did not provide an explanation prior to publication.

Some Canadians have the opportunity to receive their first shot in the last few weeks of pregnancy as more states add pregnant people to their high-priority list of vaccines.

“If a woman is pregnant and gives birth a week or two after vaccination, her baby will probably be passively immunized, but it may not be as strong as it would be if more time had passed. Hmm, “Dan.

However, it is of utmost importance for Dan to be vaccinated as soon as possible because pregnant people are at high risk of serious illness and complications from COVID-19.

“We know that pregnant women are at higher risk of complications from COVID-19 than women of the same age who are not pregnant,” she said. “Current data show that about 5-10% of pregnant women infected with COVID-19 require hospitalization and 2-4% may require hospitalization in the ICU. Is a very serious complication. “

But for those in Getricher’s position who are worried that the second dose may get tired when they need the energy to give birth to the baby, take the second dose until the baby arrives. I don’t know if it should be postponed. as soon as you can.

“We are considering not taking shots at this time,” she said.

She said she had a long conversation with her doctor and obstetrician about the risks when she first took it. As a front-line worker at a medical laboratory, she felt that getting a vaccine was her number one concern. Upon obtaining it, she had to disclose her pregnancy to the clinic and sign a consent form, but informed consent was based on receiving a second dose only a few weeks later, not months. I did.

“If I am legally required to disclose my health information, why is there no legal obligation to comply with the timing of the second dose that was in effect on the day I signed the agreement?” “She said.

And after giving birth, the only way to pass the antibody to your baby is through breastfeeding. This is not always an option for all parents.

For those concerned about the risk of receiving the COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy, Dan said the COVID-19 vaccine is safe for pregnant people.

“The COVID-19 vaccine is, from all that we have seen, safe during pregnancy and has nothing to do with increased complications such as miscarriage.”

The New England Journal of Medicine recently 30,000 pregnant women People who received the mRNA vaccine, and data continue to be collected. This study found no obvious safety issues in pregnant people who received one of the mRNA vaccines during pregnancy.

“We have a wealth of data on vaccines and pregnancy safety, especially for mRNA vaccines, which have a lot of data because they were previously approved,” Dunne said.