Pregnancy and the COVID-19 vaccine
“We know that if pregnant women get sick, they have a higher risk of developing serious COVID symptoms, and more frequently require ventilation and intensive care, when compared to women who aren’t pregnant. They also have a higher chance of delivering their baby early or pre-maturely.”
- Carissa F Etienne, PAHO/WHO Director
The connection between a mother and a child is like no other. It is spiritual; as deep as the ocean, yet tender as the dawn of a new day. In the midst of a pandemic, the act of bringing a child into the world is one of defiance, a declaration that we will determine our future.
However, after two years of living through the pandemic, health care professionals are warning that pregnant women are at a greater risk of becoming infected by COVID-19.
Why are they more vulnerable? Medically, it has to do with another connection between mother and baby, the placenta. The placenta is located in the uterus or womb and is a vital link for oxygen and nutrients from the mother to the foetus. Doctors caution that a “viral infection can disrupt the placenta’s function, leading to preterm birth and, in the worst case, the death of the foetus in the womb.”
Mother knows best
For decades, pregnant mothers in Trinidad and Tobago have safely received vaccines such as for the flu or whooping cough, without harming the protective nature of the placenta. The COVID-19 vaccine operates in a similar way to these more familiar vaccines.
If you are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant, it is essential to stay healthy and informed. For instance, the COVID-19 vaccine has proved to be safe for mothers who are breastfeeding. Additionally, researchers have found that if a mother develops antibodies to the virus, these will be passed to the baby through breast milk.
Unfortunately, the increase in pregnant women becoming infected by the coronavirus has been described by local health officials as alarming. The presence of the more infectious Delta variant makes vaccination for pregnant women even more urgent.
In difficult times, a baby symbolises hope, opening us to the possibilities of the future. As parents, let us offer a similar promise to our unborn child.
Vaccinate today....live tomorrow!
Did you know?
Only the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is recommended for pregnant women at this time, and only for women in their 2nd or 3rd trimester
You cannot catch COVID-19 from the vaccine nor can you pass an infection to your baby through your breast milk.
In the last trimester the risk of the baby being born prematurely or dying increases.