Covid Jab

[josefinorving]

I am due my second covid jab today, I have put it off throughout my whole pregnancy - I am 28 weeks now. I am so unsure as to what to do, if its safe, if it might harm the baby and it has been so difficult getting any concrete information from anyone - healthcare professionals included. It feels like no one really knows and its really un nerving - its such a bog decision. What are peoples thoughts on this.
I feel like i can be really carful and put it off for another 2 months until after the birth but then again if i get covid now it can be terrible ...

Ah it’s such a difficult decision to be in isnt it. I had my 1st jab (AZ) before pregnancy and then at the time of getting my 2nd in April, was advised not to as we were TTC. I’ve decided not to have my 2nd whilst pregnant as there’s not enough data on AZ for me to feel that there’s enough evidence proving it to be safe. For example, AZ isn’t recommended in pregnancy but just because I’ve had my 1st dose of it pre-pregnancy, I have to have that one, how does that make sense (?). I don’t feel comfortable either way (to have or not to have) if I’m honest :( It’s such a personal decision and I can imagine some posts you’ll get (and probably me too) will say how stupid you are for not having it but I don’t agree with that. You have to make the best decision for you and your baby and you can only do that based on the information you have at this time. You could always rebook for a few weeks time to give yourself some time to decide? Whatever you decide will be the right thing because you’ve made that decision x

I had my first covid jab at 13 weeks, I'm now 26 weeks and still haven't been for my second jab. After doing a ton of research I'm more confused now than I was before, I honestly don't think thete Is a right or wrong answer.

All the available evidence indicates that the approved vaccines for use in pregnancy are safe and effective. A lot of the confusion about this is because people who don't have research backgrounds are trying to interpret research themselves and misunderstanding what the data actually shows. Most medications don't undergo large clinical trials in pregnant women due to the ethical issues of doing so, and instead go on real world data. We already have lots of real world data which shows very favourable safety profiles.

Nothing comes with a 100% guarantee in life, so it's not possible to say to someone that they definitely won't experience any side effects. What we can say, though, is that for the vast majority of people, any side effects are mild (eg. minor flu-like symptoms, a sore arm).

The risks of COVID are clearly documented and it poses a far greater risk to mother and baby if caught in pregnancy, especially in the third trimester. The vaccines are much safer and the best way to protect yourself and your baby.

I’m in exactly the same situation as you!
I had the AZ just before I got pregnant and then the midwife basically told me not to have the second had until after 12 weeks at least - she said that as a personal advise.
So now I’m being told I can have the phfizer jab as my next jab which is meant to be safe in pregnancy. I have a doctors appointment this morning for something else so I’m going to ask once more and see what they say.
What I hate the most is all the conflicting information and that literally no one can give a straight answer.

A lot of the confusion about this is because people who don't have research backgrounds are trying to interpret research themselves and misunderstanding what the data actually shows.

Plus the mixed advice from HCPs. I know a couple of people who were told by their midwife, essentially “I wouldn’t if I were you.” These are people I know personally with no reason to lie, who were planning on having the booster and probably still will but were understandably unsure when their main source of pregnancy medical advice specific to them is saying “have the flu jab, have the whooping cough jab, I’d personally leave the covid one”

OP, obviously no one can decide for you. For me, I had both jabs pre-pregnancy, and will have the booster when invited. I’m assuming that will happen in Jan as I’m under 30 so lower down the queue so I’ll be somewhere around 19–23 weeks.

Here is some information from the Royal College of Obstetricians, the experts in looking after pregnant women and babies in utero. The advice is incredibly clear, you and your baby are FAR safer taking up the vaccines as soon as they are offered than remaining unvaccinated.
The jabs (and boosters) are safe at any gestation, and you and your baby are most at risk in your third trimester

www.rcog.org.uk/en/news/pregnant-women-eligible-for-the-covid-19-booster-vaccine-urged-to-take-up-offer/

It's a personal choice as whichever way you go could carry its own risks for you, though the vaccine is apparently safe in pregnancy. When I was pregnant earlier this year it wasn't advised for pregnant women to get it then they changed the advice when I was in my 3rd trimester so I waited until I'd had my baby to have it. But I was lucky I guess not to catch covid during pregnancy. I think if I was in your situation I would have it done x

Hundreds of thousands of pregnant women have been vaccinated and there is absolutely no evidence of an increased risk of birth defects or pregnancy loss.
In contrast there is lots of evidence that covid in 3rd trimester can be damaging to baby and mother.

I don't know how to say this without sounding sarcastic but I do genuinely want to know where people who say " not worth the risk" are getting their information from. I tried to Google it because I'm intrigued that people can come to a different conclusion about the best thing to do and I couldn't find a single thing. I imagine mumsent wouldn't want antivax links posted on here but if anyone has a link to a page which would satisfy my curiosity please pm me.

FWIW I had my booster yesterday and I asked my consultant the day before about it. She said 100% yes please take it.

I agree with pp - I don't understand about conflicting information - all the reputable medical and professional bodies are recommending vaccination for pregnant women or those ttc.

Full Fact, the independent fact checking charity, has fact checked many of the claims about the vaccines and pregnancy, and you can request a fact check about anything you are worried about. fullfact.org/pregnant-then-screwed/all/

@DiamondSnow for me (and this is just my own experience) the uncertainty comes from being told that AstraZeneca is not readily recommended/given to pregnant women, yet because I had my 1st one pre-pregnancy, it “will be fine” for me to have during pregnancy. I’ve done a lot of reading into it but sadly for AZ there’s not as much real life data (in comparison to the other vaccines) and all the information is based off similar vaccines. I also have not been offered an alternative for my 2nd dose, just told that it would be AZ.

I asked my sister to explain how to vax works to me just yesterday (she works in the field and it’s so over my head).

I had my second jab during my 2WW so placenta wasn’t working so I wasn’t concerned. Looking ahead to the booster though.

Basically the vax works as a set of instructions to tell your body (your own body, the chemicals and procedures that are already in there) what to do if it comes across the virus. That’s it. So I don’t see how that could possibly be harmful - I was worried about thalidomide type effects. But I don’t see how that could happen. I feel much more reassured now!

The ‘m’ in mRNA literally stands for ‘messenger’. The substance they inject you with is not live. The risks of covid in late pregnancy are very high!
But I completely understand being in 2 minds about it, obviously, as I asked the same question to my sister yesterday. Everyone needs to make the decision for themselves, hence the difficulty.

@WakeUpLockie yep that's right, once you have the vaccine, it doesn't leave your arm, but lets your immune system recognise and fight the virus should you come into contact with it.

Oh and from a personal perspective, I am getting my booster on Friday and am 31 weeks :) It will be pfizer or moderna.

One thing to consider is that your third trimester (when you’re most at risk from Covid) coincides with winter (when there’s a higher chance of catching Covid and hospitals will be under huge pressure). I’m in the same position and that realisation swung it for me.

Also, the Chief Medical Officer has implored pregnant women to get their jabs.

Please have your vaccines, the evidence is clear. The risks from Covid in late pregnancy are high.. for you and the baby. You don’t want to risk being put on a ventilator. You think it will never happen to you but actually there are many women in ICU right now who are pregnant and unvaccinated.
The RCOG advice above is a good place to start and the UKHSA study published last week showing Covid vaccines do not cause a higher rate of stillbirth, premature birth or low birthweight babies is very reassuring. There are also dozens of safety studies from the US.
www.gov.uk/government/news/pregnant-women-urged-to-get-covid-19-vaccine-following-new-uk-safety-data

I’ve had two jabs and zero issues. All the advice here in France is to absolutely have the vaccine if you are pregnant. You are at high risk in the third trimester due to reduced lung capacity; if you catch covid there is a higher chance you will be on a ventilator due to lungs being smaller and breathing difficulties. This means potentially baby being delivered early if you are unconscious on a ventilator. If you are vaccinated, your baby will also have immunity for some weeks after birth- so when you are in hospital etc baby will have some protection too. Immunity takes a few weeks to develop following the vaccine, so if you have it now you will boost your immunity around 31/32 weeks so just before you start the last part of pregnancy where baby will take up the most space & reduce your lung capacity the most. Also you will have strong immunity around time of birth which is ideal. I had my second in august so will be coming up to 6 months when I’m giving birth; according to the science that’s when immunity dips so I’d rather be in your position! I’m wondering if I can get a booster a few weeks before birth so we are going into hospital with maximum immunity for both of us. You’ve had the first jab so what makes you so concerned to have the follow up?
What have you seen/read that has made you so nervous? I’ve not heard of a single pregnant person who has had a bad response to the vaccine.

xo

I had my first jab at week 13 and the second at week 21 (both Pfizer). I got the Covid while I was 30 weeks. My symptoms were mild, and it is probably as I am double jabbed. I can not tell you the anxiety though that 10 days. I heard how dangerous to get the Covid in the third trimester, so my mind just went to the darkest places.
I am extremely grateful that I had both vaccines, as a: I am sure my symptoms would of been worst without and b: I was already so scared, can not even imagine how I would of felt if I said no to the vaccines.
I had a privet scan after (wanted to make sure the baby was ok, and NHS does not offer scan after Covid). All is well, I am 34 weeks now and the baby is growing nicely and healthy.
Unless you are staying away from work and people all together (I guess it is not gonna be possible around Christmas) I would really encourage you to get the second dose.

Vaccines work by giving your body a tiny, non-functioning, taster sample of an illness, which allows your body to have a ‘rehearsal’ if you like - it means your own immune system can use this mini tester to create antibodies, and therefore when/if you come into contact with the illness again in future, you already have antibodies that will work against this particular illness. It’s not putting the actual illness inside your body, or giving you any kind of chemical treatment in advance. It’s a mini-sample of an illness that has been modified to not harm you but allows your immune system to ‘practice’ by making the right antibodies for that illness and therefore gives you protection if you come into contact with the real thing later down the line. Don’t know if that is clear but I hope you find some reassurance Xox

If you are vaccinated, your baby will also have immunity for some weeks after birth

Is there an ideal time to get it to maximise this? I think the US recommends early third trimester for whooping cough vaccine to maximise protection for the baby, but the UK has a wider range (16-32 weeks to give protection).
Obviously I’ll get it, and I want it pre-third trimester, but is the protection for the baby better if it’s a bit later on? 24/25 weeks rather than before 20, say?
I guess they don’t know yet?

FWIW I’m not pregnant and I don’t know how I would be behaving if I were. I know how scary it is to think about taking drugs of any kind, let alone one as new as this vaccine, when you’re pregnant. I’ve got Lupus and some other health issues and both of my pregnancies I felt hugely guilty weighing up my own need for some treatments with what was right for the baby.

But I read this article from The Guardian last night about Samantha Willis from Northern Ireland who died of Covid right at the end of her pregnancy. It sent an absolute chill through me. She had avoided the vaccine because of the governments flip-flopping on the matter for pregnant women and her own worries. She had three other kids and the baby survived after being born via emergency C-Section while she was on a ventilator. Those four kids no longer have a mother and she lost her life for what feels like quite a needless reason.

I know the health of your newborn babies isn’t nothing but there’s some good information from The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) here that might be worth a read.

Good luck with the rest of your pregnancies everyone.

I would have it 100%. There's been so much about pregnant women being severely affected by covid. I read a horrendous story in the local news about a pregnant women having an emergency c-section after having to be put on a ventilator due to covid. She died, having never met the baby, and leaving 2 other kids behind. She had delayed getting the vaccine due to the mixed advice given early on. Absolutely awful, and I would make a complaint about the midwife giving her 'personal advice' too.

@SickAndTiredAgain my midwife & obstetrician both told me baby will have some
Immunity for at least for several weeks following birth. I will take several weeks over nothing! In my mind the biggest risk to us is when we are in the hospital really; at home I feel we are very safe as life will be quiet! Xo

news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2021/03/study-shows-covid-19-vaccinated-mothers-pass-antibodies-to-newborns/

[quote sjxoxo]@SickAndTiredAgain my midwife & obstetrician both told me baby will have some
Immunity for at least for several weeks following birth. I will take several weeks over nothing! In my mind the biggest risk to us is when we are in the hospital really; at home I feel we are very safe as life will be quiet! Xo

news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2021/03/study-shows-covid-19-vaccinated-mothers-pass-antibodies-to-newborns/[/quote]
Thanks for that study. Yes, a few weeks is better than nothing, and that study didn’t seem to mention the gestation that the women had their jabs to pass on the antibodies. If it’s not known if there’s an optimum time I’ll just have it whenever I’m invited which I think will be January. I’m not overly concerned, just thought that if there was an optimum time, better to aim for that. We have a DD at nursery, so obviously unvaccinated, so she brings home all sorts anyway.

Millions of pregnant women have now been vaccinated and babies are being born. There's been no elevated risk from having it however the is a huge risk if you catch covid whilst pregnant ... still birth, death of the mother. Multiple pregnant women have died with covid in England alone, they haven't been vaccinated

@SickAndTiredAgain
I came across this the other day.

www.haaretz.com/israel-news/israeli-study-finds-vaccine-window-for-pregnant-women-to-protect-their-newborns-1.10398572
It says 27-31 weeks. It's a pretty small sample size though.

I chose to have mine now (22 weeks) because I feel it will give me protection for the most vulnerable time for me & baby. Cases are high, I'm still working so higher exposure and should I get covid now baby is not strong enough to be delivered early. I was torn a I know my immunity will drop slightly towards my due date but I reasoned that by then my baby would be likely to survive outside the womb.
I also am hoping to breastfeed so continue to pass on antibodies that way.