Can Pregnant Women Get the COVID Vaccine? How Safe Is It?

During pregnancy, it is important to be extra careful about the things you put inside your body. This includes the food you eat, anything you drink, as well as any medications you take, and this includes vaccines. And one frequent question that pops up is “Can pregnant women get the COVID vaccine?”

Should pregnant women get the vaccine? Are there any possible side effects that can harm the baby? Read on to learn the answers to these questions, and more.

Can pregnant women get the COVID vaccine?

The Department of Health (DOH) recently announced that pregnant women are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. In particular, they have been added to the A3 priority list, though only those in their second and third trimesters are eligible. Those in the first trimester can also get vaccinated, provided that they have a high risk pregnancy.

Though, the DOH made an exception to the Russian-made Gamaleya vaccine, but did not give a reason why¹.

This recommendation comes shortly after the United States stated that the vaccine did not pose any risk for pregnant women. In fact, pregnant women are encouraged to get vaccinated as soon as possible in order to protect themselves.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC, the vaccine did not increase the risk of miscarriages among pregnant women. They stated that the miscarriage rate of those who were vaccinated was at 13%, which is within the average of 11%-16% miscarriage rate².

Another fear that some women have is how the vaccine could affect their fertility. Based on what we know, the vaccine doesn’t affect fertility whatsoever. So if you get vaccinated, you can safely conceive.

In terms of side effects, pregnant women can expect the usual side effects associated with whatever vaccine they take. There is no increased risk of side effects for pregnant women, and there is no need to worry if they start experiencing these side effects.

Why did it take so long?

When the first COVID vaccines were rolled out, pregnant women were not included among those who were eligible to be vaccinated. However, this didn’t necessarily mean that the vaccine is unsafe, or it is harmful to pregnant women. The reason why it took so long was that research and testing needed to be done regarding the vaccine’s effects during pregnancy.

But now, with the information that we have, we can safely say that the vaccines are safe for those who are pregnant.

COVID-19 vaccines are safe, and they save lives

Pregnant women are among those who are at risk for severe COVID. In addition, those who have gestational diabetes or have obesity have an even higher risk for severe symptoms.

So it is very important for them to get vaccinated as soon as possible. While they don’t offer 100% protection against infection, the vaccines do protect patients from severe symptoms. This means that if a person gets vaccinated and they do get sick, they will most likely experience mild symptoms.

Another benefit of the vaccine is that there might be a chance that mothers can pass on some of their antibodies to their baby. In particular, women who breastfeed can pass these antibodies on, and help protect babies from infection. However, further research needs to be done in order to confirm this⁴.

Despite the vaccines being fairly new, we can be confident that they are safe, and that they work. Numerous studies have shown positive results, and in places where majority of the population has been vaccinated, the number of cases tends to go down⁵.

Everyone who is eligible for the vaccine should get vaccinated as soon as possible. The sooner that you can get vaccinated, the better.

Learn more about Prenatal Care here.