According to the manufacturer, the vaccine against coronavirus produced by Pfizer Inc., as well as in the case of the domestic drug Sputnik V, accounts for more than 90% of the effectiveness. This means that for 100 people who will be vaccinated against COVID-19, there will be less than 10% of cases when protection does not work. These data point to the ability to contain the epidemic. But are there any restrictions on vaccination, and can pregnant women be vaccinated against coronavirus?
Coronavirus vaccine
The coronavirus pandemic is not slowing down. Restaurants, community centers and some shops across the country are closing again. The restrictions make many people feel depressed, and no one knows the exact date for the end of the pandemic and return to normal life. But the latest developments of scientists have inspired hope, and the Sputnik V vaccine demonstrates high efficiency.
The manufacturer claims that its coronavirus vaccine is 90% effective. But it must go through all the required development stages before it becomes available to everyone.
The hurdle to overcome for the domestic manufacturer, as well as for other companies such as Pfizer, includes many safety tests. They will assess the impact of the vaccine on those who receive it.
Pregnancy and coronavirus
Experts from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, one of the best medical research institutes in the world, said data on the possibility of vaccinating pregnant women will not appear immediately. The data from their studies were not published immediately after the vaccine became available. It was clear that pregnant women would not be among the first to receive the vaccine. It would be too risky.
The researchers say that those deciding whether to get vaccinated or not should consider the risks in either case. Ultimately, everything will depend on the results that health experts get when they become available.
Another factor to consider: more data on the impact of coronavirus on pregnancy will be obtained throughout 2021. If the virus poses a serious risk to pregnant women, they may be offered an earlier vaccination.
The risk of vaccination should be weighed against the risk of not being vaccinated against a disease that could cause serious harm. Scientists hope they will have a clearer picture by next year.
Given that none of the vaccines have gone through various studies and tests yet, it is impossible to know if they are safe for pregnant women. "Sputnik V" is prohibited for pregnant and lactating women
This is the official information from the manufacturer. It is indicated in the instructions for the drug. There is also an answer to the question of whether it is possible to give such a coronavirus vaccine to pregnant women in the early stages - an addition to the annotation was recently published. It says that if a woman plans to become a mother, then she cannot be vaccinated in the next 3 months.
Pfizer on pregnancy vaccinations
As with other vaccines or new drugs, pregnant women were excluded from clinical trials by this company. Pfizer announced that 23 of these women were mistakenly included in their study.
This means that when they took the first dose, they did not know that they were pregnant, or found out that they were pregnant immediately after vaccination. All pregnancies pass without complications, follow-up continues. The company previously reported that clinical trials of the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine for pregnant women will begin in January 2021.
It is not recommended to vaccinate against coronavirus for pregnant women in the late stages. But a number of experts believe that it is important to look at this issue according to the situation. If a pregnant woman is in the recommended vaccine group (for example, she is a healthcare professional), or has multiple risk factors for complications due to COVID-19 during pregnancy (diabetes, obesity, or heart disease), she may be vaccinated.
According to experts, a woman should be able to make her own decision about vaccination against COVID-19 and have full access to the latest information on the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine. Domestic developers do not yet have confidence in 100% no harm to mother and child.
Outcomes
Vaccination against COVID-19 is becoming the subject of a lot of questions. In particular, there is uncertainty regarding vaccination against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus among pregnant and lactating women, as well as those planning to conceive. Pregnancy and breastfeeding are conditions in which professionals must assess the risk, that is, balance the benefits of vaccination on the one hand, and the harm associated with this vaccination, on the other, and only then make a decision. In Russia, there is still a ban on the use of the coronavirus vaccine for pregnant and lactating women.
