Ever since the vaccine news has hit the newsstands, people are curious to know the criteria for being eligible for the same. While we carried out a detailed report on this in a previous report by Health Patrol, in recent updates, the question is centered around pregnant women. In this coverage, we attempt to respond to the query with the help of experts – however, due to lack of published data on the same, readers are advised to keep a close watch on the updates for the vaccines and their trials to stay informed.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says pregnant patients who meet Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommendations should be offered a COVID-19 vaccine.1 The recommendation only applies to the current vaccines that have received an emergency use authorization (EUA) by the FDA, the organization said in a recent practice advisory.2
Recent studies have shown symptomatic, pregnant patients with COVID-19 are at increased risk for more severe disease, ICU admission, mechanical ventilation and death than nonpregnant patients, according to Dr. William Hartman, who was a principal investigator for AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine trial.2
Similarly, Dr. Kurt R. Wharton who is the vice chair of obstetric operations and medical director of the Family Birth Center at Beaumont Hospitals – Royal Oak in Michigan and a professor at Oakland University’s William Beaumont School of Medicine, also said that COVID-19 vaccines can be safely administered in pregnant women.2 He further added that it is absolutely safe for the majority of women to receive a vaccine if they are pregnant, breastfeeding, or considering becoming pregnant in the immediate future as the majority of these women meet the criteria established by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
According to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), people who are pregnant may choose to be vaccinated.2 This is in view of the fact that observational data demonstrate that, while the chances for these severe health effects are low, pregnant people with COVID-19 have an increased risk of severe illness, including illness that results in ICU admission, mechanical ventilation, and death compared with non-pregnant women of reproductive age. Additionally, pregnant people with COVID-19 might be at increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, such as preterm birth, compared with pregnant women without COVID-19.3
In another related report in the Irish Times4, pregnant women getting the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine against Covid-19 should be given it between the 14th and 33rd weeks of their pregnancy, Irish medical experts have advised. If the second dose is not given by 33 completed weeks, it should be delayed until after delivery, according to information from the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the National Immunization Advisory Committee.3 This will avoid confusion that may arise if a fever develops following the second dose.
Source
1 https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/practice-advisory/articles/2020/12/vaccinating-pregnant-and-lactating-patients-against-covid-19
2 CDC. ACIP COVID-19 vaccines work group: Phase allocation of COVID-19 vaccines: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/meetings/downloads/slides-2020-12/slides-12-20/02-COVID-Dooling.pdf.
3 https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/recommendations/pregnancy.html
4 https://www.irishtimes.com/topics/topics-7.1213540?article=true&tag_organisation=National+Immunisation+Advisory+Committee