Do you have a question about getting the COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy? £200 voucher to be won

[LibbyMumsnet]

We are no longer taking questions on this thread, please read answers below.

Created for Our Healthier South East London

Our Healthier South East London have organised for Dr Juliet Grenham and Dr Anita Banerjee to answer your questions.

• Everyone who shares a question on the thread below will be entered into a prize draw

• One lucky Mumsnet user will win a £200 voucher for any store of their choice (from a list)

• The experts will be back to answer some of your questions throughout the next three weeks

About the experts:
Juliet qualified in 2016 from Barts and The Royal London Medical School in London. She has been working in South London since qualifying. The majority of her experience is in Emergency Medicine and General Practice and, as the mother of two boys, she has a particular interest in maternal health and child health. She is currently working with the Lewisham Public Health Team as part of her training to become a GP.

Anita Banerjee is an obstetric physician, diabetes and endocrinology consultant and internal medicine honorary reader in obstetric medicine at King's College London. Involved in clinical practice and working locally, regionally, nationally and internationally, Anita specialises in working with complex medical conditions in pregnancy and high risk pregnancies, and has spoken at conferences locally, nationally and internationally. Anita currently works as an obstetric physician consultant at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital in London.

Here’s what Our Healthier South East London has to say:
“At Our Healthier South East London, we know how important it is to support our residents, especially those most vulnerable. This is why we are working hard to reach and engage expectant families and those thinking about having children so they can quickly access clear information and advice that is most relevant to them. Our ‘Ask the expert Q&A’ is just one way that we hope to provide expectant families with the vital information they need to make an informed choice about their vaccination decisions” - Pamela Froggatt, Our Healthier South East London Deputy Director of Communications and Engagement

Do you have a question on the latest advice on COVID-19 vaccination and pregnancy? Or perhaps you would like to understand more about the potential benefits and side effects? Whatever your question is, post on this thread for the experts to answer.

Thanks and good luck!
MNHQ
Insight T&C's apply

Is there a point in pregnancy when most effective to have the vaccine?

We've all hear about the data from the US, is there any information from the UK as pregnant women have been having the vaccine here since May?

Is it ok to get the first vaccine as late as 36 weeks or at this late stage is it safer to wait until after the birth? My relative was too anxious to get vaccinated but is now anxious because she hasn't had it.

DSS and partner are thinking about TTC, what should they be aware of? Both in their mid thirties, both double-vaxxed but boosters due in the new year.

How to persuade a pregnant friend who is reluctant to get vaccinated to get jabbed?

I had two AZ vaccines while pregnant (2cd trimester) and my baby had no problems at all but i am now due to have my flu jab and covid booster while she is breastfeeding. I know there has been a lot of reassure about the jab during pregnancy but does the same apply while breastfeeding?

Does having the vaccine during pregnancy provide the baby with any immunity once born? What's the evidence for this?

If you're vaccinated and breastfeeding, does covid immunity pass to baby?

How do you approach pregnant women refusing the vaccine based on religious beliefs? Do you attempt to inform them based on science or do you accept they cannot be influenced?

What are the long term effects (5 years or more) of the vaccine?
What are the effects on unborn baby?

@Honeypie21

What are the long term effects (5 years or more) of the vaccine? What are the effects on unborn baby?

Vaccines don’t have long term negative effects. They leave the body within a few weeks after having primed your immune system. If you’re going to get some kind of reaction (sore arm, headache, tiredness etc), you will get it within the first 24 hours or so.

@GloriaSicTransitMundi

DSS and partner are thinking about TTC, what should they be aware of? Both in their mid thirties, both double-vaxxed but boosters due in the new year.

Healthy diet, folic acid, keeping balls cool, regular activity/exercise, start tracking ovulation, regular sex throughout the fertile window.

Oh, and have the booster!

Do we have any evidence as to whether the vaccine increases clots in a population already prone to them? Does the risk out weigh the benefit in morbidly obese pregnant women for example?

How many babies have so far been born to women who had a COVID vaccine (and also the ones who had two vaccines)?

Is there data available showing the outcomes for these pregnancies and babies so far?

With the AstraZeneca jab being only now offered to over 40’s, how safe is it to get my second dose of the alternative Pfizer jab?
I am 29 years old, a social care worker working with vulnerable groups and currently 11 weeks pregnant. I am keen to get fully vaccinated, however I am worried about mixing jabs and unsure about what booster jab I should eventually get also.

Is it still safe while breastfeeding? How much transfers into milk if any?

@Burnt0utMum

We are hearing that the vaccine is safe and that rigorous studies have been done before approval. How can you be sure that the vaccine is safe in the long term when no one has had the vaccine long enough for us to see what long term effects it could cause? For example, could it cause a foetus to develop an illness in later life? If not, what reassurance is there?

@Burnt0utMum We have many vaccinations for various diseases and there have been no long term effects. This experience is reassuring. We do have substantial evidence that contracting COVID-19 can lead to immediate and long term health problems.

@Sixtycats

Why are we being told the vaccine is safe for pregnant women when we have literally no idea how these babies will turn out long term? They're all tiny or just being born now. I'd like to know why we are being told this.

@Sixtycats We have many vaccinations for various diseases and there have been no long term effects. This experience is reassuring. We do have substantial evidence that contracting COVID-19 can lead to immediate and long term health problems.

@Clementineapples

Why was covid only dangerous for the elderly or vulnerable and now our children and pregnant women are being pushed into a vaccine as well?

@Clementineapples COVID-19 is still considered to be a higher risk for older people and people with existing health conditions. However, as the pandemic has developed, it has become clear that the risk posed by this virus is certainly not restricted to these groups. We have very sadly seen significant numbers of young, healthy individuals suffering serious illness and even dying from the virus. Evidence shows that pregnant women in their third trimester are at higher risk of hospitalisation and intensive care admission.

@JessieLongleg

From the reading up I've done noone can tell the long term effects of the vaccine because the long term hasn't happened. Yet they are finding more unvaccinated pregnancies in hospitals with Corona. Unfortunately being closer to health systems you have more chances of getting it and there are short term advantages over not taking it. I will only be taking the phizer as it has the wider studies. To be honest there is no long term medication that don't cause problems and it standard to take them in our society to deal with heavier health problems. Such as cholesterol meds, painkillers, mental health meds.

@JessieLongleg We strongly urge pregnant women to get vaccinated as soon as possible .

@SnowyMouse

Are you more likely to end in hospital if you're pregnant?

@SnowyMouse Yes. Current evidence from the UK suggests that pregnant women are no more likely to get COVID-19 than other healthy adults, but they are at slightly increased risk of becoming severely unwell and being hospitalised if they do catch COVID-19.

[quote Cuck00soup]Links below may be helpful

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

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/

www.rcog.org.uk/globalassets/documents/guidelines/2021-02-24-combined-info-sheet-and-decision-aid.pdf[/quote]
@Cuck00soup Thank you for sharing these very useful and trusted resources.

@Andoffwego

Could the baby possibly experience side effects in the womb?

@Andoffwego Could the baby possibly experience side effects in the womb?

@Andoffwego

Could the baby possibly experience side effects in the womb?

@Andoffwego It's difficult to know what babies experience in the womb but there is no objective evidence to suggest the baby is affected by any significant side effects. The most common side effect of the COVID-19 vaccine is pain around the site of the injection, which will not be felt by the baby.

@FreshFreesias

When will the safety trials on pregnant women be concluded? It’s ironic that unpasteurised cheese is considered unsafe yet a new vaccine is perfectly safe. Does anybody really know yet? Why risk it?

@FreshFreesias We have substantial safety data for the COVID-19 vaccine from the US (147,000 women) and from the UK (65,000 women). This data shows no evidence of increased adverse effects in pregnant women. Any new medications or vaccinations go through a stringent testing process before being approved and they are continually monitored by the MHRA. Unpasteurised dairy products are considered a risk for pregnant women because they can cause a bacterial disease called Listeriosis which we know can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, or make your newborn baby very unwell.