Should I Get Covid-19 Vaccine While Pregnant? Being pregnant during a pandemic can be stressful. You constantly worry about what might happen to your baby if you contract the virus. Now that vaccines are available, you are left to decide if you should get them because, again, what if it affects the baby?
The overall risk of Covid-19 while pregnant is generally low, but if you are currently pregnant or were pregnant within the last 45 days, you have an increased risk for severe illness with Covid-19. This means you might need to be hospitalized, placed on a ventilator to help you breathe, and require intensive care.
Doctors say it’s best for pregnant women to get vaccinated.
What Do the Medical Experts Say?
Pregnant women are at a higher risk for preterm birth, a severe infection that requires hospitalization, and even admission to the Intensive Care Unit, or worse, death when contracted with Covid-19. Thus, doctors highly recommend that pregnant women be vaccinated if they haven’t yet, and urged governments and health care providers to give them access to Covid-19 vaccines.
Should You Get Covid-19 Vaccine While Pregnant?
When it comes to your baby’s health and well-being, it is natural to consider all the deciding factors before receiving the vaccine. It is best to discuss the possible risks and benefits of getting vaccinated with your healthcare provider. There is no evidence that Covid-19 vaccines increase the risk to both the mother and the baby, especially in miscarriage, stillbirth, preterm birth, preeclampsia, and congenital disabilities. Furthermore, there were also no increased vaccine side effects in pregnant women.
Therefore, it is safe to get vaccinated while pregnant, and you should receive one.
What You Should Know About Getting Vaccinated During Pregnancy
Everyone now has access to Covid-19 vaccines, and they are all deemed effective against severe illness, hospitalization, and death from the virus. Here are some things you need to know if you are pregnant and have decided to receive your shot.
Getting vaccinated during pregnancy may help you protect not only yourself and your baby but also your family and your community.
There are so-called “breakthrough infections” among vaccinated people, but the chance of this from happening is 1 out of 5000. If there are 5000 people in your community and all of you are vaccinated, there is only one chance that you can contract the virus. And even if you acquired the virus, there is no chance of getting hospitalized. You may give your baby protection against Covid-19 even before it is born.
Vaccines cannot give you Covid-19.
Contrary to what some people believe, Covid-19 vaccines are not giving you the virus. They do not have the live virus that causes Covid-19.
You may pass on the antibodies you made to your baby through breastfeeding.
After receiving the vaccine, your body will create antibodies that fight the coronavirus. These antibodies can be passed to your baby through breastmilk and can then protect your little one.
Covid-19 vaccines do not affect fertility.
There is no evidence that Covid-19 vaccines negatively affect fertility. If anything, the virus itself affects fertility, especially in males. This makes the vaccine more crucial than ever if you are thinking of getting pregnant in the future. Again, vaccines will protect you from Covid-19, which causes fertility issues.
Talk to your healthcare provider if you have had an allergic reaction to vaccines in the past or have a pre-existing condition.
Always be honest with your doctors about your medical history. Inform your ob-gyn of any allergic reactions to vaccines in the past, and secure medical clearance if you have pre-existing conditions or taking medicines that might contraindicate with the vaccine.
Covid-19 has caused massive destruction and has already taken so many lives. We do not want to bring our children to a health-hazard world. Getting vaccinated against the virus and achieving herd immunity is just one massive step towards a much healthier and more secure environment for our children.
Nevertheless, it is best to do your own research, acquire as much information about getting a COVID-19 vaccine while pregnant. Consult your doctor beforehand. Pregnancy has its own set of risks so you have to make sure that you are also in your best shape before going for the vaccine.