Pregnant or planning to become pregnant? What we know about the COVID-19 vaccine.

The eagle has landed! The first batch of thousands of COVID-19 vaccines has arrived safely in Australia yesterday! Next week the first round of vaccinations will be provided to front line health workers and residents in aged care. What a relief!

But what does this mean for women who are pregnant, breastfeeding or planning a pregnancy? RANZOG has released advice regarding this important matter:

If you are pregnant:

Since pregnant women were not included in the Covid-19 vaccine trials, routine vaccination of all pregnant women is at present NOT planned in Australia. Furthermore, community transmission of COVID-19 in Australia is very low (we all contributed to this great outcome!) and the majority of pregnant women affected by Covid-19 only have very mild symptoms. They are not thought to be at a higher risk of miscarriage or harm to their unborn baby when infected with COVID-19.

At present, you would only be offered a COVID-19 vaccine in pregnancy if you are suffering from underlying significant chronic medical conditions which put you at a higher risk of becoming really ill when infected with COVID-19.

You are breastfeeding:

There is no data on the safety and effects of Covid-19 vaccines in lactating women and in their breastfed infants. However, the vaccines are NOT thought to be a risk to the breastfed infant.

Planning a pregnancy:

Good news for women planning a pregnancy. COVID-19 vaccines are not thought to put you at a higher risk of miscarriage or cause abnormalities in your unborn child. You do not have to delay pregnancy just because you have been vaccinated recently!