Covid Vaccine - NHS?

[xem87]

Any NHS workers TTC having the covid vaccine?
I'm reading so many mixed things... we been TTC for 3 months, chemical pregnancy last month. I really don't want to stop trying and delay it just not sure what to do.
I work on a medical ward not covid positive but it's all over the hospital...

Any advice xx

Hi, I’ve had 3 miscarriages this year and a frontline nhs worker. Under recurrent miscarriage clinic. I had the Pfizer vaccine yesterday. Guidelines have changed on the gov.uk website to say ‘you don’t need to delay pregnancy after vaccine’. I decided to have it and the nhs recurrent clinic agreed prior. If you do fall pregnant the gov website has a link to the pregnancy surveillance page. They want more data on it x

Ps. The day before I knew of a 22yr old with no known medical history being admitted to itu, post birth, with covid. It freaked me out a little and felt I’d be less anxious having a dose before pregnancy than not (although I won’t technically be covered by one vaccine by the time I give birth but maybe in a few months they will be recommending it in pregnant ladies when more data is around). Think it’s personal preference. Speak to your clinic/doctor to discuss but be warned the Gp giving my vaccine yesterday was not aware of the new advice. Do a little research yourself too but from reputable websites x

@CC2021 thank you for being understanding, I read that catching Covid whilst pregnant can increase chances of being in icu.
@Nicki1664 sorry to hear about your miscarriages and thank you for your information. My Gp wasn’t helpful but I’ll hopefully speak to her next week as I had some fertility bloods done to see if everything is ok.
So difficult when guidance changes so quickly, you’re right. I think that’s what makes me hold off a bit too but also think to get it done ASAP as I’m lucky to be offered and then after 2nd dose can carry on ttc.
Thank you ladies for letting me vent xx

I'm still undecided 🙈
Nearly all wards are covid positive so I feel like I should have vaccination... however we have been TTC this month... what should I do? Wait until period due and book for after? I worry if I have it now and have conceived this month I will do damage I'm so going round in circles 🙁

I've had it because I'm a doctor on a covid ward and believe that the risk from this type of vaccine is smaller than the risk to myself and any future baby from covid. I am not clinically vulnerable and I'm 30.

The advice is actually to have it either
-if you are clinically vulnerable
Or
-if you are in a situation that makes the avoidance of covid impossible (eg. directly treating covid patients on a regular basis)

These categories are of course open to interpretation. I think any blanket yes or no answer probably isn't helpful or possible.

They said they normally also advise a discussion surrounding the risks of vaccinating vs the risk of not vaccinating with your GP, but for me that wasn't necessary.

@LAgeDeRaisin
Thank you for your reply.
I can book the Pfizer one... would it be bad if I had it now and then was pregnant - I'm in my TWW. I am 34 nothing under lying. I just worry if I had it then something was wrong with baby etc would be my fault...

This is what it says... I could book for next week period is due 27th... I had chemical pregnancy last month so who knows tho xx

Hi again OP, I posted a few up as a pregnant member of staff who's actively requested to be included in our team vaccination. Whilst you can't eliminate all risk my line of logic is that there is no known evidence that either vaccine impacts fertility (but there were some Internet rumours which I think have fuelled a lot of anxiety). In response to your question of what would happen if you got pregnant after the vaccine, part of my decision-making process was that both vaccines are non-live. There is no known evidence of non-live vaccines causing harm to unborn babies, in fact pregnant women are strongly recommended to have both flu and whooping cough vaccinations whilst pregnant. And as a poster recently said, to me I also believe there is greater risk to myself and my baby's wellbeing from catching covid than there is from receiving the vaccine. But at the end of the day it's your decision to make 😊

@mummabubs thank you xx
I'm going round in circles 😂 what your saying makes sense.. I just worry as We don't want to stop trying.. I could get pregnant this month I could not... I don't think this waiting 2 month thing is accurate now according to gov.uk guidelines.

I worry if I book it and have for eg 20th jan then find out pregnant on 27th jan would that be bad? It's so many what ifs! Lol xx

@xem87
I asked them about ttc and then about a 2nd dose if I were pregnant, and they basically just said it wasn't contraindicated and it was personal choice based on a balance of risks. I'm currently breastfeeding
There isn't a correct answer. For me I had it because I don't know of any evidence suggesting any vaccine of this sort used during pregnancy is harmful, and I'm in daily contact with covid patients.
Now I feel happy with my choice. I'm vaccinated and pending a second dose it's one less thing to worry about

@LAgeDeRaisin hey, can I just ask what else they said about ttc? I’m booked for my 1st jab tomorrow and have deciced to pause ttc until after the 2nd jab. I’m so scared I’m going the wrong thing, literally feel like I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place with known risks of Covid and non known risks of vaccine and then ttc afterwards. I’m 34 and not vulnerable x

Hi @DeeDee20, not me that you asked but just to let you know on the information sheet they gave me at the vaccine centre yesterday they'd actually crossed out the section that said about recommending a two month gap in ttc after having the vaccine x

Hi everyone, I hope you don’t mind me joining?

I’m just looking for some advice. I am not an NHS worker, I am a Family Worker. I visit family homes. I wear a mask and socially distance where possible but can be hard! I mainly work with older children so I don’t come into close very contact (unlike if I worked with babies).

I had an email from work today saying they are rolling out the vaccine and we need to decide by tomorrow if we are opting in or out. My partner and I began TTC this month and currently due on AF this weekend- so just waiting at the moment.

I have mixed feelings about the vaccine. As I am not frontline like you guys and don’t come into very close contact with people I am not sure I whether the risk is worth it just in case I am pregnant? And also I don’t want to hold off TTC. I also don’t want to tell my boss I’m TTC because she is super nosy and intrusive.

Any advice?

Thankyou! :)

I'm TTCo was at the end of my TWW.
And tested negative for pregnancy. Sp I had the pfizer vaccine. My period started the next day.
Im hoping if I can have the next jab after 3 weeks it's just 1 month wasted in the TTC journey.
I'll see when I get the next jab if I have to wait over the 3 weeks . I will continue TTC.
Then if I know when I'm having the next jab I will miss out that month for TTC.
If I get pregnant in between then I wont have the second jab.

@mummabubs thank you so much.
@Souther - hi. I’ve done the same as you, I ended up having the first jab. My next one is booked for 10 weeks time and I’m just going to hold off ttc until after the second one. Although I did ask if it might be bought forward and they said it might. Fingers crossed it will.

Thank you ladies for the support during this time. It hasn’t been an easy week x

I ticked 'may be pregnant' and the only difference was I had to have a Dr administer mine under named prescription rather than under PGD. X

I've got mine booked for next week... currently in TWW. Lots of people seem to be having it.. I think now if I got pregnant between first and second at least il have some protection xx

Hi everyone. I'm so glad I found this thread as I have been torturing myself over this for months! I'm TTC but no luck so far. Initially I had decided to not have the vaccine due to concerns over unknown effects on fertility long term but have now decided to have it. Mainly due to the change in guidance but also as I work in what is now such a high risk area that I think the benefit of it outweighs the risk...at the end of the day I'm unlikely to be able to continue TTC if I get covid! Plus I read that the guidance has changed as one of the studies had a certain amount of women in it who got pregnant during it and still received the vaccine with no adverse effects. It's ultimately a very personal choice and not an easy one! Being actually offered the vaccine really helped me clear my thoughts on it.

I would be keen to know how you get on @mummabubs when you do get the vaccine (in terms of how it made you feel etc)

I'll let you know @lunadreams 😊 I've had my first dose delayed by a week as when I went to have it (armed with a letter from seniors in the health board authorising me to have it) I was told that the rule had changed the day before so now I need a letter from my consultant obstetrician. The only really frustrating part was that they told me this as I was sat in the chair with a bare arm and the nurse had the needle in her hands! So close, but not close enough. I have no doubts my consultant will agree with my decision but will update and also report back post vaccine assuming all goes smoothly and I have it. X

@mummabubs ahhh that must have been so frustrating!! I cant believe they left it right to the last minute 😔. I will keep everything crossed you do get it. Do keep us posted!

Just to update I've finally been given the vaccine after waiting here for 2 hours while they ummed and ahhed about whether the letter from my consultant had the right wording, only to decide that it did 😂🤦🏻‍♀️ I'm just glad I've had it.

@mummabubs yay! That's great news that you finally had it! 👍👍. Must be such a weight off your mind. I hope you feel ok after it...I've heard of it making a few people feel a bit ropey and that is without being pregnant too! X

I can honestly say I feel completely normal. I have the flu vaccine every year as an nhs employee and that always leaves me feeling rotten, so I was a little worried it might be the same with this. If I'm really searching for something I guess when I lift my arm above my head I get the mildest of aches I've had the jab (like any other injection!). They did say that after the pfizer jab some people feel tired or develop a temperature that comes down quickly with paracetamol... But so far nothing to report here. They're taking my details as apparently there's a local and national database being set up for pregnant women who have received the vaccine so that they can collect outcomes for research. They also told me today they aren't worried about fertility afterwards but are erring on the side of caution for women who know they are pregnant and in the first trimester as that's when baby is forming, so in those cases they're advising women to have the vaccine when they reach the second trimester x

Hi all, I had phizer on Sunday and it was just a bad arm for a day. I am ttc so was like most wary about the impact on fertility but guidance is very reassuring and I think the risks of Covid outweigh the risks of the vaccine. If I fall pg before March I will wait to get the 2nd dose at a later date.

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to link in with this- I had my Oxford vaccine, ovulated the next day and fell pregnant. This was unexpected as we weren’t TTC.

I’m classed as vulnerable and also a Dr working front line so I will be following whatever guidelines exist at the time of my second dose, which I believe will be for me to go ahead.

I guess the decision to choose before falling pregnant was taken out of my hands, but I certainly don’t regret it and I think for me personally I feel reassured knowing that I will have developed some protection during this time where everyone is feeling some level of threat and anxiety, let alone the added anxiety of ttc or keeping a baby safe.

I just think everyone needs to choose what is right for them, using whatever current guidelines are. I would have felt more worried had I been given a vaccine using mRNA.