Experts clear the air on Covid-19 vaccine and its impact on women‘s health

Clinical trials conducted abroad do not indicate adverse effects of Covid-19 vaccines on pregnant women. Representation pic

With Covid-19 vaccines being made available to a wider section of the population, concerns about whether the jab can be administered to pregnant and lactating women are coming to the fore. Dr Veena Aurangabadwala, a gynaecologist at Zen Hospital, reveals that at present, there is no clarity from the Government of India. "Neither Covaxin nor Covishield have been tested on pregnant and lactating women," she explains.

Dr Vaishali Joshi

"Live attenuated vaccines, such as the Rubella or HPV vaccines, are not administered during pregnancies. However, other vaccines such as the influenza or Tdap vaccines are recommended during pregnancy as they protect mothers and their new-born by producing antibodies. The available Covid-19 vaccines used so far are not live attenuated vaccines. So, apart from theoretical risks, they are safe for use during pregnancy," clarifies Dr Vaishali Joshi, a senior gynaecologist at Kokilaben Ambani Hospital. She adds that while the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued a contraindication for pregnant and lactating women, recent data from the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which are mRNA vaccines, in pregnant mothers have shown no adverse effects on the foetus and pregnancy in the US.

In the UK, the Astrazaneca vaccine, which is similar to Covishield, has been supported by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, London, for use during pregnancy and lactation. Internationally and nationally, all bodies representing women's health are supporting vaccines for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers.

At present, pregnant and lactating women can opt to have themselves vaccinated voluntarily, says Dr Bhavini Shah Balakrishnan, a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at Masina Hospital. "If they opt for a vaccine, they should avail counselling from a medical practitioner to make an informed decision about potential risks," she says. Dr Joshi adds that in case of women who have tested positive for Covid-19, the vaccine should be taken four to eight weeks after recovery. Further, in areas where the prevalence of the second wave is high, two doses of the vaccine should be preferably taken before the third trimester, as the risk of serious illness, need for ICU admission and mortality increases significantly in Covid-19 positive pregnant women in this trimester.

Dr Veena Aurangabadwala

Other vaccinations should be given after an interval of 14 days. The most common reaction to the vaccine is fever for which they can safely take paracetamol. Women planning their fertility treatments should complete both vaccine doses before beginning treatment, Dr Joshi says. All experts insist that there is no correlation between the day of the vaccination and menstrual cycles. Dr Harish Chafle, consultant of pulmonary and critical care at Global Hospital says that as per the CDC, there is no evidence that the Covid-19 vaccine causes fertility problems. There is also no need to avoid pregnancy after receiving a vaccine.