The Covid-19 vaccination was developed in a record time and its rollout across the world has also happened at an impressive pace. While most countries are still in the process of vaccinating their citizens, the volatility of the virus continues to make it a looming concern.
That’s exactly why you should be getting your jab at the earliest, whilst maintaining all the necessary social distancing precautions.
However, there has also been conjecture on administering the vaccine to pregnant women. With fewer tests done of the vaccine on expecting mums, there wasn’t enough data to suggest if it was safe enough.
But now, the United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed that it is safe enough for expecting women to get the shot.
Covid Vaccine During Pregnancy Is Safe, Says New Data
Image Source: Pexels
Based on a new analysis, the CDC suggests that the safety and effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccination during pregnancy is growing. The data suggest that the benefits of the vaccine outweigh any potential risks during pregnancy.
The CDC also said that it found no safety concerns for expecting mums in either the new analysis or previous studies.
The miscarriage rates after vaccination remain identical to the earlier rate. At present, pregnant mums can take any of the three vaccines available – Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson.
This is for the first time that the US CDC is actively recommending the vaccination for pregnant women. Previously, the centre had said that those wanting to take the vaccine should do so after consulting with their healthcare providers.
Covid Vaccine During Pregnancy: No Harmful Effects
The CDC came to the conclusion after analysing early data from pregnant women who received Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. The report analysed data from three safety monitoring systems to gather information about Covid-19 vaccination during pregnancy.
The early data did not find any safety concerns for vaccinated pregnant women or their babies.
Another report looked at pregnant women in the v-safe pregnancy registry who were vaccinated before 20 weeks of pregnancy. Here too, scientists did not find an increased risk for miscarriage.
CDC says it continues to monitor pregnant women who’ve received the vaccination during all trimesters of the pregnancy in a bid to better understand the effects on the mum and baby.
Speaking about the findings, Dr Sascha Ellington, team lead for the Emergency Preparedness and Response team in CDC’s Division of Reproductive Health, said that vaccine uptake in pregnant women has been low. Only 23 per cent of women in the US received just one vaccine dose.
Dr Ellington said, “We want to increase that. We want women to be protected. We’re not seeing any safety signals and so the benefits of vaccination really do outweigh any potential or unknown risks.” The CDC is also working with obstetricians and gynaecologists to become vaccine providers.
2 Doses Of Pfizer Vaccine About 78 Per Cent Effective: Study
Image Source: Pexels
An Israeli study released in July 2021 by JAMA also backs this up. The study concluded that two doses of Pfizer’s vaccine were 78 per cent effective in preventing infection in pregnant women in Israel.
The researchers at Maccabi Healthcare Services in Tel Aviv analysed over 15,000 expecting women that included 7530 vaccinated women and 7530 unvaccinated women. The study had women matched by age, gestational age, residential area and the number of times they had given birth.
Covid Vaccine During Pregnancy
The immunity of the mum decreases during pregnancy, which makes them susceptible to the Covid-19 infection. The CDC says that contracting the virus during pregnancy can increase the risk for preterm birth.
The body also denounced rumours about the vaccine curbing fertility in individuals.
“We are aware of the myths that have been spreading related to fertility. They are not based on any evidence. There’s no science that backs that up,” Dr Ellington said. “We hope this helps.”
The CDC recommends vaccinating everyone above the age of 12 years. This includes kids, adults, pregnant mums as well as those trying to get pregnant or are breastfeeding post-pregnancy.
While the fear around taking the vaccine is natural, it has only proven to make your immunity strong. There are mild side effects at the beginning but there haven’t been adverse effects reported so far.
Researchers also found out that vaccinated mums could transfer antibodies through breastfeeding to their babies after birth, helping protect the little ones.
News source: The Straits Times
ALSO READ:
COVID-19 Vaccine For Kids: Pfizer To Request For Emergency Authorisation By October 2021
COVID-19: Pregnant Singaporean Women Reluctant About Getting The Vaccine
