Should women planning to become pregnant be afraid of vaccinations? Are there any better or worse times to get the COVID-19 vaccine? Facts, myths and fears are verified for us by Dr. Andrzej Zmaczyński, a gynecologist from the Superior Medical Center.
- Pregnant women are many times more likely to be at risk of severe COVID-19
- Recently, Poland was informed about the death of a woman who fell ill with COVID-19 while she was six months pregnant. The cause of death was multi-organ failure due to SARS-CoV-2 infection. The child was saved, his condition is severe but stable
- Dr. Andrzej Zmaczyński, a gynecologist, reminds that the safety of using mRNA and vector vaccines in pregnant women is preserved. Due to the greater number of observations and safety assessments of vaccination of pregnant women with mRNA vaccines, they are preferred to be used first in this group.
- According to the latest recommendations of the Polish Society of Gynecologists and Obstetricians, you can and even should be vaccinated with the third dose during pregnancy.
- Among the contraindications for vaccinations, only allergy to the ingredients of the vaccine, which requires an allergological consultation, can be mentioned
- More information can be found on the Onet homepage.
A specialist in gynecology and obstetrics from the Superior Medical Center in Krakow.
He works as an assistant in the Clinical Department of Gynecological Endocrinology and Gynecology at the University Hospital in Krakow and is a research and teaching worker at the Gynecological Endocrinology Clinic of the Jagiellonian University Medical College. Currently, she is specializing in oncological gynecology.
Karolina Świdrak / Medonet: From time to time there are voices of women saying: I cannot get vaccinated yet, because I plan to get pregnant. Should women planning pregnancy be afraid of vaccinations? Are there any contraindications? Maybe there are women who shouldn’t be because, for example, they have some diseases? When is the best or worst time to get vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2?
Dr. Andrzej Zmaczyński, gynecologist: Vaccination against COVID-19 may have some temporary negative effects on male sperm parameters, but there is no hard evidence that it impairs fertility for both men and women. Semen parameters worsen due to the occasional post-vaccination fever. This is an effect similar to the effect of any fever. Therefore, it should not be concluded that there is a reduced fertility after vaccination.
Despite this information, personally, I always recommend vaccination, also for women trying to get pregnant, because considering all the pros and cons, it is better to try to get pregnant a little longer than to get COVID-19 because you are not vaccinated. However, due to the potential negative impact on the fetus during organogenesis (from the fourth to the eighth week of pregnancy), vaccination is not recommended in the first trimester until the eighth week of pregnancy.
- Fetal development stages – the first, second and third trimesters of pregnancy
Pregnant women are at increased risk of severe infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and the ACOG (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) position emphasizes that the safety of using both groups of vaccines in pregnant women is maintained (a representative of the vector group vaccine in these was a vaccine from Johnson & Johnson). However, due to the existence of a much larger number of observations and safety assessments of vaccination of pregnant women with mRNA vaccines, they are preferred to be used in the first place in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in pregnant women.
As far as possible contraindications to vaccinations are concerned, only allergy to vaccine components that require allergy consultation can be mentioned here.
If you have symptoms of allergies (runny nose, recurrent infections of the upper respiratory tract, diarrhea), it is worth doing food and inhalation allergy allergy tests available on Medonet Market.
Does immunization of the mother translate into protection of the baby?
Yes. A woman getting vaccinated in the third trimester of pregnancy passes her immunity to the baby. So when it comes to pregnancy, this is the best time to get vaccinated. It is worth adding that this is a direct action that easily translates into the child’s welfare. However, it should also be borne in mind that if a pregnant woman gets vaccinated, she can avoid any potential complications resulting from early termination of pregnancy, which also happens in the case of a severe course of the disease. Let us add that in such cases – when a mother suffering from COVID-19 gives birth to a child – right after delivery, she is temporarily isolated from it to avoid infecting the newborn, which is also very traumatic.
The latest recommendations of the Polish Society of Gynecologists and Obstetricians say that you can and even should be vaccinated with the third dose during pregnancy. Once again, I would like to reiterate that pregnant women do not really show any contraindications for this, and being at a higher risk of a severe course of infection, they should do everything they can to avoid it.
- A pregnant woman infected with COVID-19 died in Poznań. The child was saved
Should pregnant women get any more vaccinations?
You certainly need to remember about the flu vaccine, the recommendations for which are the same as for the covid vaccine. It happens that pregnant women have a hard time with the flu, so it is worth getting vaccinated before starting the efforts – there are no contraindications for this.. The same as in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy.
- Can I get vaccinated against the flu and COVID-19 at the same time?
The pertussis vaccine is recommended during pregnancy, including in the third trimester. Relatively few women remember about it, meanwhile, it is definitely worth doing. During this stage of pregnancy, the vaccine also protects the baby and is therefore highly recommended.
- Dramatic moments in the hospital. The mother regrets refusing the vaccination. «If I could turn back time …»
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