COVID booster - under 12 weeks pregnant

[tiantian1005]

Appreciate this might be a sensitive topic and I have googled a lot to see the government recommendations. It seems that they are now recommending vaccine for pregnant women at all stages. I plan to have the jab just before 11 weeks wondering if anyone has or plans to do similar or people still tend to only do it later stage pregnancy?

Personally I am avoiding it during pregnancy. The gov website released an article stating the pfizer vaccine is NOT recommended for pregnant and breastfeeding women. I had 2 pfizer jabs last summer whilst I was breastfeeding so just feel a bit mugged off about it all and don't want to put myself through that worry again. I know my risks of not having it but I can't help but think the other brands will say similar at some point. I'm not an anti vaxer and I'm a 100% advocator for getting vaccinated against diseases but I think this one you need to go with your gut. There will always be horror stories regarding any vaccine with side effects but the majority of people will be fine x

I would definitely get it at some point. I had my last booster in early pregnancy and all was fine. Getting it earlier will provide you better protection in time for a winter Covid wave whereas getting it a bit later offers more chance to transfer antibodies to your baby (like getting the whooping cough vaccine).

I had mine at 14 weeks and while I felt a bit weird about it I was acutely aware of how covid impacts pregnant women and why it was so important. Baby now here and he’s perfect. But I know what you mean about pre 12 weeks for some reason. Could you nudge it to after your 12 week scan maybe?

I think I will wait until 2nd trimester, just in case.

I'd be cautious. Pfizer was recommended and advertised as safe for pregnant and breastfeeding women and is now no longer recommended. On the government website it confirms this.

I had mine booked during the first trimester but cancelled it as I knew if anything bad happened I’d always have thought ‘what if I didn’t get the vaccine?’

Not sure where people are getting the info on Pfizer not being recommended - the latest gov info (updated today) says both Pfizer and Moderna are totally safe.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-vaccination-women-of-childbearing-age-currently-pregnant-planning-a-pregnancy-or-breastfeeding/covid-19-vaccination-a-guide-on-pregnancy-and-breastfeeding

I had my booster at 30 weeks. My daughter was 8 weeks prem, and covid in the third trimester can increase the chance of premature labour. I want to avoid this happening again at all costs so it’s a no brainer for me.

I'm currently 6w pregnant and I had this conversation with my mum and husband yesterday. I'm really torn as to whether to get it or not, but I'm more considering not. I've had all my others but just feel a bit uneasy about having it now I'm pregnant! Interested to see other people's experiences! X

I had both of mine when pregnant last year, before ten weeks and then eight weeks later I think.

I had Moderna both times and baby is nearly 10 months old.

Just had mine at 26 weeks. After having covid at 11 weeks I would do anything to avoid catching it again/making it less horrific than it was. More of a danger getting covid/temp than the risks of the booster x

Just had mine today at 28 weeks

i caught covid at 14 weeks and it was awful - really bad temperatures and I was fatigued. the high fever was a definite risk to baby so I wouldn’t risk that again

not seen anything about Pfizer - the nhs website clearly states that it’s fine for pregnant women

I had mine at 4 weeks

The vaccine can be given at any stage of pregnancy.

A few weeks ago, archived versions of the original government guidance (not to vaccinate in pregnancy or breastfeeding due to lack of data at the time- this was Dec 2020 I think) were circulated online, with various commentators claiming that this is the current guidance. It absolutely isn't.

There is now a large body of data to say that the vaccine is safe and we know that pregnant women with covid are at increased risk of complications. Rates are increasing as we go into winter so it's probably a good time to do it if that's what you decide.

I don’t think they were archived, just an nhs page that had an august 2022 updated date as a stamp and that said that the vaccines are not recommended for pregnant women. In the end it looked like the updated date was for other sections in the page though it was given as a header, and not for the vaccine recommendation, which was left as was from years ago. Other pages form nhs say the covid vaccines are recommended.

Ive looked into what tests have been done for pregnant women. And all of them are for immediate pregnancy outcomes, like % live births, % miscarriages etc. and they say there are comparable to women who weren’t vaccinated.

this is good news but for me it should represent a good first step and not the end of tests.

they could have also drawn bloods from women, miscarried foetuses and babies and do toxicity or other health tests. Check for liver damage etc and see all health markers are ok. A baby can be born looking healthy and have some small liver damage etc that won’t be noticed until many years later.

www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2104983?query=featured_home

This is one of the tests which is one (or one of the several) I think Nhs has based their recommendations on

CONCLUSIONS
Preliminary findings did not show obvious safety signals among pregnant persons who received mRNA Covid-19 vaccines. However, more longitudinal follow-up, including follow-up of large numbers of women vaccinated earlier in pregnancy, is necessary to inform maternal, pregnancy, and infant outcomes.

this test* was finished in February 28, 2021, they could have done these extra checks then or since, it’s been a year and all the other tests I’ve found looked at these pregnancy outcomes only.

*concerning that women (in USA at least) were told the vaccine was “safe and effective” for pregnant women before these tests were done. Obviously you can’t include pregnant women in usual trials, I’m not saying they should have been, but there is a long process before any recommendation can be made for pregnant women.

from my side I would think these results as encouraging but not sufficient to recommend it, except for pregnant women at high risk.

covid has a high risk for women on its own, I know, but many women at this point have had covid vaccinations &/ covid infections prior to pregnancy, so it’s not the situation from before the vax came out, plus not all women have the additional risks factors for covid: diabetes etc.

if there are some tests I’m missing out, I’d be very interested to find out.

I wasnt eligible for mine until a week ago, I had it on Friday at 37 weeks pregnant and so glad I did. No side effects apart from a sore arm. I don't want to catch Covid just as im dealing with a newborn

I have my booster booked for just before 11 weeks, too.

@CristinaNov182 that was one of the first studies. Lots more have been published since. Literally no drugs used in pregnant are tested in the ways that you suggest. There is absolutely no reason to think that the vaccines would damage a fetal liver and I have no idea why anyone would even think this

I had my second Jab when I was around 7 weeks pregnant, also caught covid at around 34 weeks pregnant! Baby was born in July and is currently snoozing in my arms as her Moses basket is an insult! It’s such a personal decision there will be an argument for and against but you have to do what feels best for you

Jesus, I just freaked out about that Pfizer thing. Had a Google and found this. Phew.

fullfact.org/health/pfizer-document-vaccine-breastfeeding-pregnancy/

Can you send me some of those later studies that looked at different things apart from comparing % rates of miscarriages and live births to non vaccinated women? That’s what I’ve been trying to find.

what I’ve said is that they could have also checked health markers for women (and their babies) who took the vaccine after it was released under the emergency provision. not just let’s count how many of you miscarry etc and compare to usual rates.

i don’t know what other ways you refer to that I’ve said should have been tested on pregnant women?

I specifically said no one does first trials on pregnant women ever, and this was obviously not done here either, but there is a long long process before anything gets recommended to pregnant women. And this was released quickly under an emergency provision and women were told it was “safe and effective” before they even knew if pregnancy outcomes will be ok, for a start. The studies I have seen say more long term follow up is necessary. However, more longitudinal follow-up, including follow-up of large numbers of women vaccinated earlier in pregnancy, is necessary to inform maternal, pregnancy, and infant outcomes.

regarding the liver, the science is that you don’t assume “this can’t happen” but do a whole battery of tests, with long follow ups etc before you assume anything. Toxicity tests include liver and many other things. This is a vaccine based on a new technology never released before, it’s not the old weakened virus type that we’ve had for a least 100 years. I think you can assume there a lot of things especially if it’s a virus you’ve seen before, like the flu, and you’re just testing for a new mild variant and not one that you never had a vaccine before plus it’s a virus that’s out of ordinary in many respects plus the vaccine it’s based on a new technology.

if you have any other tests, you won’t mind sharing the direct links? Or indirect, I’ll try to find them. This is important to many of us and it’s important to go to the source and see exactly what they’ve tested.

I'll be having mine. Had the first two jabs while pregnant with DD, and last autumn's booster while breastfeeding. Would rather be protected than not. Only think I can't workout is when I can book it...

All I know is I had it, then had a miscarriage the next day. I'm not saying it caused it, but I'm now pregnant again and waiting until I give birth for the next booster.

I had a Covid vaccine in the first, second and third trimester and now have a healthy 7 month old :)

I had my booster at 5 or six weeks in February this year. I’m now 40+4 and have had no concerns with baby’s development during pregnancy.

I would say I’ve had covid twice- once when pregnant (26 weeks) and once prior to pregnancy. It totally wiped me out while pregnant but I didn’t get a fever and I think I probably have the booster to thank for that

I've booked mine for when I'll be around 10 weeks - and like a pp had my first 2 doses while pregnant and booster while breastfeeding. Catching covid is more risky when pregnant so reducing the risk of that seems only sensible to me, same as getting the flu jab