Covid Vaccine at 27 Weeks - what to do?!

[MintGreenLife]

I was called by my GP today to say they have been instructed to offer the jab to all pregnant patients. I'm 27+3 today, so just about to enter the third trimester when it's suggested that you can suffer more serious illness with Covid. I'm due on the 1st of August.

I am completely torn about what to do. On the one hand knowing I have some protection against covid and that maybe the baby would have some protection too would be a real weight off my mind, but at the same time, how on earth can I be sure that having the jab might not have long term implications for baby, surely there is no way of knowing?!

I work from home, get click and collect for food shop, order most things online. Have been meeting up with family outdoors since it's been allowed, in laws are jabbed. Only main concern at the moment is my SIL is expecting and due in 2 weeks, and so main possible risk would be from DH holding his new niece/nephew, who may very well be held by lots of other people! I myself have no underlying health conditions, normal BMI etc. This is my first baby.

Would love to know what everyone else is thinking/will be doing?!

If you are under 40 they will only offer you an appointment on a pfizer day anyway @caz311

I had Pfizer and when booking, a number of pharmacies appeared as well as the vaccination centres. In order to ensure it was Pfizer I had to call the pharmacies to check it would be Pfizer. Some told me it would be AZ only on those days so I avoided. It seems there are glitches in the system and some people are being sent to vaccination centres that don’t have Pfizer on those days so are having to rebook. This was a couple of weeks ago so hopefully the booking system has been improved now but it certainly wasn’t made easy for us!

Have you done the NHS covid risk calculator? I don't think many pregnant ladies have died of covid. Usually best to avoid all new drugs in pregnancy just incase?

@Loustew12

Have you done the NHS covid risk calculator? I don't think many pregnant ladies have died of covid. Usually best to avoid all new drugs in pregnancy just incase?

Hundreds have died in Brazil and Canada. But even here, the rate of stillborns has increased because of the damage Covid does to the placenta.

Plenty have ended up with long hospital stays, in intensive care, or having their baby delivered early also. Much better to have the protection of the vaccine with covid rates surging so high again now

Hi everyone,

Loved reading all your comments and it's really helped me, so thank you and congratulations to all you mamas!

I think this is a really tough one and you should go solely on what you think is right and feel comfortable with as a pregnant mother.

I'm 32 + 3 weeks and I've had a letter, 4 texts and a call from my GP about getting the covid vaccine. The GP was very insistent that I should get the vaccine as his opinion was that the risks of the vaccine are far lesser than the virus.

For me, it's always been a no to get the vaccine whilst I'm pregnant. It never really even crossed my mind to get it as I don't feel as risk from the virus. I don't have any underlying health issues and have had a very healthy and easy ride of a pregnancy (touch wood). From my journey through covid-19, I don't feel comfortable getting the vaccine whilst pregnant, but that's for my own personal reasons on covid, my own experience any my own decision from research and help from friends and family. It doesn't mean to say this is right for everyone though..

I have a friend who has a similar due date to me who has had a lot of health issues in her life, so she has decided to take the vaccine as she thinks that will be the best for her and baby, which is great!

It's really difficult because there is so much conflicting advice out there regarding covid, and really no one knows what is right and wrong, we've never had this before, so we are left to our own instincts and everyone seems thinks they are experts! My father being one of them.. he has a very strong and different opinion to me, and he wants me to get the vaccine, whereas my Mother is telling me not to, as you can imagine this was a very fun family conflict.. not!
I have found this quite hard but have tried not to let it affect my own decision and my own feelings about what is best for me and baby.

We are all different, with different bodies, surroundings, opinions and experiences relating to Covid-19 and pregnancy, so my best advice would to be just do what you think is best for you and baby, and try not to feel too pressured into either getting the vaccine or not getting the vaccine. As they say, Mother knows best!

Hope this helps a little bit :)

Just got my first covid jab yesterday at 18+3 weeks and wanted to share my experience so far in case anyone's considering whether or not to get it. I was offered the Moderna and was bracing myself for the typical side effects the day after but actually, I just woke up to a sore arm (which I had all of yesterday after the jab) and nothing else. Feeling absolutely normal and was able to run errands.

Maybe I got lucky but I do seem to be hearing quite a few stories from other ladies who didn't report any significant side effects :)

Fingers crossed it stays this way!

Thankyou to the person who started this thread it has seriously helped me decide that I am going to get my vaccine, however I am only 11 weeks and my scan is on Monday has anybody else on here had their vaccine soon after the first trimester has ended. I was invited for mine in 2 days time and cancelled and the girl has put it down as rescheduling. I was planning on having my first dose at maybe 16 weeks. TIA for any replies !

Not a chance in hell. In the absence of longitudinal studies I won’t take whilst pregnant. When they say it’s safe for pregnant women. What that means is once vaccinated they have not see any immediate adverse effects in this group. That doesn’t mean they’re able to predict or advise on future potential risks. There have been similar incidents;

Thalidomide - went on to cause latent cancer in children.

Swine Flu vaccine - cause narcolepsy in an entire generation of children.

At the time they provided reassurances that there are no risks. What’s different this time around?

In addition to this, people are saying they will get vaccinated to keep others safe. Getting vaccinated isn’t an altruistic act as it only keeps you somewhat safe. You can still contract it and pass it on to others. I cannot see enough benefit to the reasons i would potentially place my unborn child at risk of future illness and not be compensated by the government for any support that I might need. You have to prove you’re more than 60% disabled as a result which only 2% of people are able to do.

No thank you !

I've just had my second vaccine and panicked reading the last comment.

But then I thought about it. We can't compare the Covid vaccine to the thalidomide one which was given in the 19690s - that was over 60 years ago and medical research has developed a lot since then. Pregnancy scans weren't even a thing in the 1960s.

The swine flu one is a little more alarming because it's more recent, but the odds of the swine flu vaccine causing this is 1 in 52,000 according to the NHS website. The risks of Covid in the third trimester in particular are known.

I'm not saying everyone should go out and get it, it's a personal decision which very much feels like we're potentially screwed either way

I didn't get it to keep others safe, as selfish as that sounds it didn't even enter into my head. I got it to try and keep my baby safe

@Daffodil21 you have done the right thing getting vaccinated dont pay attention to ridiculous posts that are irrelevant to the covid vaccine and the thread itself tbh. Thalidomide is not even anywhere near the same thing and is a very silly comparison. I joined the covid 19 vaccine evidence based group on Facebook and it is full of real people with real babies that have been born perfect and the mums have been fully vaccinated during pregnancy and then there was a video of a true story where a woman who ended up on a ventilator at 34 (no underlying conditions) baby was delivered by c section and she didn't meet her until she was a month old! That woman was lucky to make it and and thankgod she did! Im also sure she'd urge the rest of us pregnant woman to get vaccinated so we dont end up the same. Lots of evidence and data now and it's definitely safe! Congratulations on your pregnancy and well done for going ahead and protecting both of you!

Thanks @Melvin2021 I joined that Facebook group too and found it very reassuring

@Daffodil21I completely understand that it’s a personal choice. I understand why people don’t want it, get it or are on the fence about it. Yes this vaccines were given 60 years ago and swine flu a while ago too. The one thing they have in common is the false sense of reassurance from medical practitioners. They state it’s safe and won’t cause any harm now or in future bur how do they really know that? I think not getting it you’re potentially placing your child at risk and getting it you’re doing the exact same thing.

I’m not scare mongering, I’m not an anti vaccine person, I believe in the pandemic and so forth. I work from home currently and will be self isolating until my due date. That’s the choice I am making. I think for @Melvin2021to suggest you don’t pay attention to anything other than a one sided argument is just silly. I think it’s good to hear all ideas and to understand them before you formulate your own. This is a novel virus and an even more novel vaccine. The information around it changes everyday and I can still see a lot of uncertainty. People might need a booster, then another perhaps if there is another variant which circumvents the existing vaccines. Then medical conditions directly linked to the vaccine each day. It’s far too risky for me to even consider having it whilst pregnant. Just because a doctor or midwife says otherwise it doesn’t mean I have to believe them, they know just as much as I do at this point.

If you had the vaccine then that is fine, I am sure there will be no adverse effects now or in the future so please do not allow my comment or any other comment make you feel like you haven’t don’t the right thing.

Also, @Melvin2021 you say babies have been born perfectly fine. So we’re the babies in the other two incidents. They effects became known as the children grew up. They were then linked back to the vaccines given at the time.

Who knows what will happen! You’re dammed either way I think! Who would believe everything they read on the NHS website anyhow? They change it as research expands and new information comes to light.

@PurpleRayne89 I most certainly do pay attention, to real data that I have either been presented with or have researched on my own. You are entitled to your opinion just like the rest of us are however I personally don't think there was a need to come on to a thread where clearly if you've read through, woman are looking for abit of support and reassurance and your post then just makes people panick and maybe also feel bad for their decision. I am not judging you for not getting the vaccine in general that is your personal choice however your post was abit direct and maybe hurtful to others on here that have clearly weeks ago had their vaccine. There are other threads that were maybe more appropriate for your personal opinion.

@Melvin2021 I 100% agree with you. It wasn’t very appropriate for this particular post and there are other more suitable threats I could have posted this.

I don’t want to make mother’s feel bad for being vaccinated. I think their decision is their own as is mine. Who’s to know who is taking the bigger risk. It’s a difficult decision for me to make and I don’t think the information that is currently out there will be the same down the line. It’s already very dynamic.