As Texas Children’s continues to vaccinate our team members and patients against COVID-19, we have also received many questions around women’s health, especially from those of you who are currently pregnant, nursing or planning to start a family.
Here are some of the most common questions you have asked. Additionally, our Texas Children’s and Baylor physicians recently made this video to discuss these concerns, which you are encouraged to watch and share.
I am currently pregnant. Should I receive the COVID-19 vaccine?
You should discuss the decision to receive the COVID-19 vaccine further with your provider – not only on the vaccines’ risks and benefits, but also your risk of moderate or severe disease if you were to remain unvaccinated and become infected with the virus.
The Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine (SMFM) and the American College of Obstetrician Gynecologists (ACOG) has issued guidance statements to aid patients in evaluating the benefits and potential risks. There are several facts that are worth knowing when making this decision:
- The risks of COVID-19 disease in pregnant women are greater than in non-pregnant women.
Specifically, pregnant women are up to five times more likely to be hospitalized, three to four times more likely to need to be cared for in an ICU, and two to three times more likely to require life-saving measures (like a breathing tube or life support). In addition, while the data is not yet complete, there is at least a small increased risk of maternal death, stillbirth, and preterm birth with COVID-19 disease during pregnancy. Black and Latino women have an especially increased risk of severe disease and death from COVID-19. - The COVID-19 vaccine has not yet been thoroughly tested in pregnant women.
Pregnant women were not allowed to take part in the clinical trials of the vaccine. However, a few people received the vaccine in the clinical trials and did become pregnant. Although these were small numbers, there were no reports of problems and monitoring continues. - The Pfizer and Moderna authorized vaccines are not a live vaccine, meaning that you cannot become infected with the virus when you receive the vaccine.
Although about 4 in 100 people had a fever with the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine in the trial, and 16 in 100 after the second dose in the trial, this does not mean they became infected. These are anticipated responses to the vaccine and clues that it is arming your immune system to fight the virus should you become infected. Pregnant and lactating women can take acetaminophen (Tylenol) to help with the fever and muscle aches that might come with receiving the vaccine, and it won’t cause harm or lessen the effectiveness of the vaccine.
What if I am nursing? Can the virus be transmitted to my infant or toddler through the vaccine?
Because the vaccine does not contain a live virus, there is no virus to transmit with nursing.
Is there an increased miscarriage rate and/or risk?
This is unknown at this time. However, as summarized above, it is felt that the benefits of the vaccine outweigh any possible small and still theoretical risks. In the Pfizer trial, the only women suffering miscarriage were in the placebo group. However, the data is simply not robust enough to make any conclusions.