Pregnant women "should be offered Covid vaccine"

Pregnant women “should be offered Covid vaccine”

The UK’s vaccine advisors have said that pregnant women should have the vaccine alongside other people in their age group.

Previously, only pregnant women with underlying health conditions or those whose risk of exposure to the virus was high were eligible.

But now experts have recommended the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for use in pregnant women, because data from 90,000 pregnant women in the US has not raised any safety concerns.

Currently, there is very little data on the safety of the AstraZeneca vaccine during pregnancy because pregnant women were not included in trials.

Professor Wei Shen Lim, Covid-19 chair for the The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JVCI), said:

“We encourage pregnant women to discuss the risks and benefits with their clinician – those at increased risk of severe outcomes from Covid-19 are encouraged to promptly take up the offer of vaccination when offered.”

Dr Edward Morris, president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, (RCOG) added:

“Vaccination offers pregnant women the best protection from Covid-19, which can be serious in some women.

“We believe it should be a woman’s choice whether to have the vaccine or not after considering the benefits and risks, and would encourage pregnant women to discuss with a trusted source like their GP, obstetrician or midwife, or a healthcare professional in a vaccination centre.”

According to the RCOG, it is safe for women to be vaccinated at any time during their pregnancy, but many prefer to wait until after the first trimester or the first scan.

Pregnant women are at no greater risk of being infected by the virus.

However, they are more likely to have complications from Covid-19.

Data shows that one in five pregnant women who become unwell with Covid needs to have her baby delivered early.

Depending on their age and clinical risk group, women who are planning pregnancy or are breastfeeding can be vaccinated with any vaccine, added a spokesperson for the JCVI.

The shift in advice brings the UK into line with other countries.

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