Although at a slower pace than many of us would like, the different vaccines against Covid-19 are arriving in our country and are being administered to a greater number of professional groups of different ages.
The fact that young women are receiving any of these vaccines because they belong to different groups considered first or second-line (such as policemen, nurses, or pharmacists), raises different scenarios and logical doubts that obey the vital moment of each one of them.
If you are pregnant or planning to be pregnant, and you will be offered any of the vaccines against Covid-19 shortly, I am sure this article will interest you. As if your child has already been born but receives the benefits of breastfeeding.
Is The Vaccine Safe In Pregnant Women?
At the moment it is something we do not know for sure. There is nothing to indicate safety problems in vaccinating pregnant women, but we do not have enough scientific studies to recommend its administration during pregnancy.
So do I get vaccinated or not? As a general rule, it is recommended to postpone vaccination against Covid-19 in pregnant women until the birth of the child. Only in the cases in which the pregnant woman has a high risk of exposure to the coronavirus due to her profession, or a high risk of complications in the event of contagion, would the risk-benefit of vaccination be assessed individually.
This is something in which both the vaccination protocols of the World Health Organization and those of the Ministry of Health and those of practically all the Autonomous Communities consulted in this regard coincide.
I’m not sure if I’m pregnant, do I get vaccinated? In case of suspicions, it is advisable to carry out a pregnancy test beforehand. In case of not being able to do it, it is recommended to delay the vaccination until you are certain whether it is or not and thus act in one way or another. What if I want to get pregnant?
In case you are planning a pregnancy, the Ministry of Health’s protocol on vaccination against Covid-19 is clear as soon as the future mother receives the second dose of the vaccine, whatever the brand of those available at the moment, you should wait two weeks as a precautionary measure. When will we know if the vaccine is safe in pregnant women?
We will have to wait. A study is already underway to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine in pregnant women, but it is not expected to produce results before 2023. It will be tested in 4,000 volunteers from different countries, including Spain, who are among the week 24 and 34 of gestation. In addition to assessing the immune response in the mother, it will also be studied whether her children are born with protective antibodies against Covid-19, something that we already know happens with the flu vaccine if it is administered during pregnancy.
Has a pregnant woman already been vaccinated? Yes. There have been cases of women who work on the so-called front line and have been vaccinated against Covid-19 due to the risk to which they are exposed daily. We have documented the case of a Florida health care provider who received the first dose of Moderna’s vaccine in week 36 of gestation, and at the birth, her son was not only in perfect health but also found in the umbilical cord blood. protective antibodies against Covid-19.
Is the vaccine compatible with breastfeeding? In this regard, both the WHO and the Ministry of Health, and the Associations of Midwives of Spain agree that vaccination against Covid-19 should not prevent the initiation of breastfeeding or force it to be suspended. Also, at this time we do not have sufficient scientific studies to ensure this, but it would not be strange if the antibodies that the mother generates against Covid-19 after vaccination could be excreted through breast milk, which would also protect the infant.
