Vaccine question

[flower04958]

Hi everyone.

I have a bit of a dilemma and wanted to get your advice.

I got my first jab in July very happily/willingly (I got Pfizer). Unfortunately, the next morning I got horrific cramps in my uterus and then bled heavily for a full fortnight, right in the middle of my (otherwise regular) cycle. I reported it to the .gov symptom tracking site but never heard anything back (had all the other usual symptoms like sweating, tiredness etc but those didn't worry me).

There was then a delay in me getting my second jab as I moved countries and needed to sign up to the healthcare system, complete immigration, etc etc. To be honest, I also procrastinated because I had such a horrid experience and just kept putting it off.

I'm now 10 weeks pregnant and just don't know what to do. I really, really want to get the second jab as I know how bad things can get for an unvaccinated pregnant person (and their baby). But I also had very extreme symptoms that directly relate to my reproductive organs!

What would you do if you were me?

Oh and btw I'm basically on self-lockdown now. I'm not going out and putting others at risk. Other than midwife appointments (during which I wear my mask) I basically don't go anywhere. But with Christmas coming up, I would love to fly to see my family :( Urgh.

If I was you I'd get the second dose. I was fully vaccinated by 22 weeks & felt so reassured that I'd done everything to protect me & my baby.

This thread helped me make the decision:

twitter.com/vikilovesfacs/status/1367099701238116353?s=21

I think I’d take advice from an obstetrician.

I had the jab whilst pregnant then breastfeeding. But I didn’t have any symptoms.

Thanks @JackJack84, that thread is indeed reassuring :)

@PurBal I have taken advice from lots of specialists, and they all say it's safe to get the vaccine after the second trimester (that's the policy in this country, I know in the UK they say from the first). But they clam up when I ask specifically about my side effects of heavy cramping followed by heavy bleeding and whether they've encountered that.

Maybe there just isn't enough data on people who've had my kind of side effects :(

If specialists are advising you to have it, that’s the best place to listen to rather than ransoms who don’t know your medical history.

Maybe there just isn't enough data on people who've had my kind of side effects

Or it could be that what happened was unrelated to the vaccine. For specialists who have seen you to be advising you to go ahead, they must fee they risk of it happening again is very small.

I don’t think I would if I was in your position after the experience of your symptoms. I can completely understand your hesitancy and uncertainty, it must be very difficult. You’ve had 1 which gives you some protection (of course not as much as 2 but still better than none) but if I’m being totally honest, I wouldn’t. No one knows how your body will respond to the 2nd. Go with your gut and trust your instincts x

@flower04958 the immunologist who wrote the thread is happy to answer questions so you could tweet her directly? She definitely had a thread about the vaccines effects of the menstrual cycle as well, I'll link if I can find it

Here it is:

twitter.com/vikilovesfacs/status/1438374737890189313?s=21

I had the first one 2 weeks before IVF treatment (which worked). I had the 2nd one a couple of weeks ago, when I was 22 weeks pregnant. Personally I wouldn't have it done in the early stages and defo not first trimester, but not saying you shouldn't. The next couple of weeks are likely to be the most difficult of your pregnant, as the placenta takes over, so in view of how you reacted first time, maybe at least make sure that's underway?

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

Thousands upon thousands of pregnant women have been vaccinated. There is no risk of miscarriage linked to vaccination above what there is in the general population. It is irresponsible to give figures like that intended to scare and spread misinformation.

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists addresses the question of miscarriage risk here:

The Yellow Card scheme run by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is the UK system for collecting and monitoring information on safety concerns, such as suspected side effects or adverse incidents involving medicines and medical devices, including vaccines.

The MHRA have reported that the numbers of reports of miscarriage and stillbirth are low in relation to the number of pregnant women who have received COVID-19 vaccines to date (more than 55,000) and how commonly these events occur in the UK outside of the pandemic.

They say there is no pattern from the reports to suggest that any of the COVID-19 vaccines used in the UK, or any reactions to these vaccines, increase the risk of miscarriage or stillbirth. Sadly, miscarriage is estimated to occur in about 20 to 25 in 100 pregnancies in the UK and most occur in the first 12 to 13 weeks of pregnancy (the first trimester). Stillbirths are sadly estimated to occur in about 1 in 200 pregnancies in the UK.

We also have research from six studies worldwide which show the rates of miscarriage were the same in those who had received a COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy as in the general population.

www.rcog.org.uk/en/guidelines-research-services/coronavirus-covid-19-pregnancy-and-womens-health/covid-19-vaccines-and-pregnancy/covid-19-vaccines-pregnancy-and-breastfeeding/

Hi there , I had my second dose the day I conceived , but I never had a bleed like you have described . This is a very hard dilemma . The risks of covid do outweigh the risk of that happening again as you don’t know if it was even related to the vaccine . I think I would probably hold out until maybe a couple of weeks before Xmas when you are hoping to travel . Then at least you will be in the second trimester ? But at that stage I would get it .

I'd definitely still go ahead and get the second dose as per the guidance given by healthcare professionals.

I’m not while pregnant, purely as long term risks aren’t yet known but it’s a very personal decision and ultimately you have to figure out what’s right for you.

If I'd have direct symptoms like that with my uterus I personally wouldn't take the risk. Especially not in the first trimester, which is the most precarious. I wouldn't want to risk it.

Statistics are all very well for the average person, but my understanding is that in general, for any medication, the risk profile of the "average person" is not the same as the risk profile of someone who has had direct symptoms.

Definitely discuss it with an obstetrician. They aren't experts in epidemiology though and probably won't want to say too much (in my experience). Perhaps a GP will have more information, I don't know.

You should ask them what kind of protections you have with a single dose, and also if perhaps getting a second jab later in pregnancy would make any difference to the risks.