Both the Union health ministry in India and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the US recommend Covid vaccines for pregnant women. That is because although the overall risk of severe illness is low, pregnant and recently pregnant women are at an increased risk for severe illness from Covid-19 compared to non-pregnant people, the CDC has said.
“Severe illness includes illness that requires hospitalisation, intensive care, or a ventilator or special equipment to breathe, or illness that results in death. Additionally, pregnant people with Covid-19 are at increased risk of preterm birth and might be at increased risk of other adverse pregnancy outcomes compared with pregnant women without Covid-19,” it has said in guidelines updated as recently as on Tuesday, June 29. Hence, “getting a Covid-19 vaccine during pregnancy can protect you” from severe illness from Covid-19.
The Union health ministry endorses this view broadly. It has noted that although more than 90 per cent of infected pregnant women recover without any need for hospitalisation, rapid deterioration in health may occur in a few and that might affect the foetus also, according to a fact sheet it issued on the same day to guide frontline workers and vaccinators on counselling pregnant women about the value of Covid-19 vaccines.
"It is, therefore, advised that a pregnant woman should take Covid-19 vaccine," it concluded.
It is important to visit this question now when across India, barring a few exceptions, the second wave of infections are on the wane, based on which several states are announcing relaxations to existing lockdown norms. But virologists, studying various statistical models and the advent of new strains of the virus (Delta plus), have noticed a slight uptick in fresh cases in some regions of India and have, therefore, warned against letting one’s guard down.
That pregnant women are vulnerable has been recognised by health authorities during the early days of the second wave. “There is some kind of immunological compromise in pregnant women. The disease could be severe, as we have noticed in the second wave,” Jaishree Gajaraj, senior consultant, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, MGM Healthcare in Chennai, told The Hindu in May.
Recommendations for lactating women are favourable too. Based upon available data, Johns Hopkins Medicine says, it appeared safe to get the Covid-19 vaccine if one is nursing a baby. “Although the vaccines have not been studied in nursing mothers, lactating women should be offered the Covid-19 vaccine. The vaccines (authorised for use in the US) do not contain live virus, so being vaccinated does not pose a risk to the baby. If you are vaccinated for the coronavirus, there is no need to delay or discontinue breastfeeding,” it said in an article by Andrew Satin, director of gynaecology and obstetrics, and Jeanne Sheffield, director of maternal-foetal medicine.
The CDC also believes that based on how these vaccines work in the body, they were unlikely to pose a risk for women who were pregnant. It, however, acknowledges that there is currently limited data on the safety of Covid-19 vaccines in pregnant people.
As for babies, according to the Union health ministry fact sheet, over 95 per cent of newborns of Covid positive mothers have been in good condition at birth. In some cases, coronavirus infections in pregnancy may increase the possibility of premature delivery (also noted by CDC), the baby's weight might be less than 2.5 kg and in rare situations, the baby might die before birth, it said.
The note also cautions that pregnant women, older than 35 years of age, obese, and with pre-existing illness such as diabetes or high blood pressure and having a history of clotting in the limbs, are at a higher risk of developing complications after a coronavirus infection. “In case a woman has been infected with Covid-19 during the current pregnancy, then she should be vaccinated soon after the delivery,” the note says.
In conclusion, experts point to the CDC’s recommendations to those who are faced with a decision about whether to receive a Covid-19 vaccine while pregnant: “consider your risk of exposure to Covid-19, the risks of severe illness, the known benefits of vaccination and the limited but growing evidence about the safety of vaccinations during pregnancy."
PS: This column (source: Union ministry of health, WHO, CDC) is for general information. For specific concerns, especially for those with comorbidities, it is advisable to consult your family physician.
