Pregnancy in a pandemic is far from normal. When I compare it to my last one (two years ago), there are so many more factors to address this time round, not only for my safety but for that of my unborn child.
I tuned in to the Suffolk and North East EssexCOVID-19 Vaccination Service community event to discuss issues concerning COVID-19 vaccination and pregnancy and fertility held on 23 April.
Until recently (16th April) they were not allowing pregnant women to have the vaccine.
Whilst I feel really anxious about having it myself whilst I am pregnant, I thought it would be wise to find out more about it.
From the event I found out:
Currently:
- Any pregnant women who is at high risk of COVID illness should be offered the vaccine or these working in health or social care because they are more likely to come in to contact with the vaccine and be offered it.
- A woman who has gestational diabetes or has a BMI of over 40 because of the risks of that situation.
- Or a woman aged over 45 years old.
This is a change from previously when they said women who are only at a risk of contracting or coming into contact of COVID should be offered the vaccine and women who are fit and well who just happen to be pregnant wouldn’t routinely be given.
There hasn’t been any indication of risk, but simply it had not been given to enough pregnant women previously in order to say it was safe.
Since then in the US they have vaccinated over 90,000 pregnant women and they’ve found no safety concerns at all, and they were using the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine – the regulators in this country have stated either one of these should be offered to pregnancy woman as we know those two are safe. There are no indications other ones pose a risk but they know these ones are safe. Studies are still ongoing this is based on experience so far.
So to confirm now any women over 45 can have the vaccine and any one in the risk categories above in my bullet points.
For me personally, I don’t even like taking Paracetamol whilst I am pregnant, so for the sake of a few months – I would rather wait to have my vaccine until my baby is born, but that is just my personal preference. I am also under 45 so at present wouldn’t be eligible yet.
If you are considering it I would advise reading all of the guidance, talk to your health care professional and have a one to one discussion.
Please fill in my survey here https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/WFNRPJ8 to help other mum’s to be in this decision.
