This article was medically reviewed by Carolyn Swenson, MD, an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology and a member of the Council on the Prevention of Medical Review.
Since the arrival of the COVID-19 vaccines, there has been confusion over whether it is safe for pregnant women. The reason: Early clinical trials of the vaccine did not include pregnant or breastfeeding women, making it impossible to know for sure whether it was safe to be vaccinated.
Reminder: Pregnant people are at an increased risk for serious COVID-19 diseases, along with an increased risk for other adverse effects, such as preterm birth, according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC).
At a recent press conference, Anthony Fauci, managing director, the country’s leading expert on infectious diseases, said that clinical trials for pregnant women (and children) are underway, and we will need more definitive answers soon. Meanwhile, about 20,000 pregnant women received the COVID-19 vaccine “without red flags”, said Dr. Fauci said.
These revelations are promising, but if you are pregnant (or a loved one), you may still be wondering if it is a good idea to vaccinate pregnant women. Here’s what you need to know.
How does the COVID-19 vaccine work again?
Both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines use a newer technology called messenger RNA, or mRNA, which is genetic material of the virus, according to the CDC. (Note: this is not the virus itself, but only the genetic coding of the virus. The vaccination does not makes you sick with COVID-19.)
The mRNA tells your body how to make a vein protein, which uses the new coronavirus to attach to human cells. When your body starts pumping out vein proteins, your system sees them as foreign and creates antibodies that are unique to the coronavirus. Eventually, your body eliminates both the protein and the mRNA, but the antibodies stay attached and provide you with protection against COVID-19 if you become infected in the future.
What do public health organizations say about COVID-19 vaccination if you are pregnant or breastfeeding?
Here things get confusing. Both the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the CDC have largely said that pregnant and breastfeeding women should be able to get the COVID-19 vaccine if they want it. However, both organizations stop not recommending that pregnant women be vaccinated.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) initially advised women against get the vaccine. But in late January, the organization revised its recommendation, saying: ‘Based on what we know about this type of vaccine, we have no specific reason to believe that there will be specific risks that will outweigh the benefits of vaccination for pregnant women. . ”
Before receiving the vaccine, the ACOG recommends that pregnant women talk to their doctor about the following:
- the level of activity of the virus in the community
- the potential efficacy of the vaccine at their disposal
- the risk and potential severity of maternal disease, including the effects of diseases on the fetus and newborn
- the safety of the vaccine for the pregnant patient and the fetus
However, the ACOG also states that a conversation with your doctor ‘should not be’ necessary ‘as it may cause’ unnecessary barriers’ to vaccination.
So is it safe for pregnant and breastfeeding women to get the COVID-19 vaccine?
Getty Images
“In the absence of information obtained from pregnant and lactating individuals, it is difficult to openly recommend an intervention,” said Emily S Miller, MD, MDH, Assistant Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northwestern Medicine .
But based on what has been studied so far, “there is no reason to think that pregnant women or their fetus are at risk of getting the COVID-19 vaccine,” says William Schaffner, MD, a specialist in infectious diseases and professor at the Vanderbilt. University School of Medicine. And he points out that studies on pregnant animals could find no cause for concern.
“Everything we know about the vaccine suggests that it should be safe,” says Dr. Schaffner. “The RNA in the vaccine is nowhere near human DNA – that of the mother or the fetus.”
Statements from public health organizations (such as the WHO) have been cautious, but ‘everything we have seen of women who became pregnant during clinical trials or were already pregnant and received the vaccine is reassuring’, says infectious disease expert Amesh A Adalja, Managing Director. , senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Safety.
Public health officials and organizations, including the ACOG, “do the best they can with what they have to work with,” explains Michael Cackovic, MD, a maternal fetal medicine at Ohio State Wexner Medical Center. “They say, ‘We do not have the data to make the recommendation,’ and that’s healthy.”
At the same time, dr. Cackovic notes that this type of vaccine is considered safer for pregnant women than other types of vaccines. “The COVID-19 mRNA vaccine does not contain a live virus, and these types of vaccines are considered more compatible during pregnancy as they work by eliciting an immune response from the host,” he explains.
The fact that pregnant women are at high risk for serious complications of COVID-19 also makes vaccination at least worth considering, says Joanne Stone, MD, director of maternal fetal medicine for the Mount Sinai Health System in New York. “The benefits seem to outweigh the risks, although a conversation with a healthcare professional can help you make an individual decision,” she explains. “And it’s important for women to be informed about the lack of data on vaccine safety in pregnant women.”
In short: Pregnant women should talk to their doctor about the COVID-19 vaccine.
Now that pregnant women are now being included in vaccine trials, says dr. Cackovic: ‘Ongoing discussions with your doctor should include newly published information on the safety, efficacy and availability of the vaccine during pregnancy.’
Dr. Adalja agrees. “I think it’s a decision between a doctor and a patient,” he says. “But in most cases, pregnant women need to be vaccinated.”
This article is accurate from press time. As the COVID-19 pandemic develops rapidly and the scientific community’s understanding of the new coronavirus develops, some of the information may have changed since it was last updated. As we strive to keep all our stories up to date, please visit the online resources provided by the CDC, WHO, and yours local department of public health to stay up to date with the latest news. Always talk to your doctor for professional medical advice.
Go here to join Prevention Premium (our best value, complete access plan), subscribe to the magazine or get digital access only.
FOLLOW PREVENTION ON INSTAGRAM
This content is created and maintained by a third party and imported into this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may find more information about this and similar content on piano.io