Women planning to take Covid vaccine should delay pregnancy, says gynaecologist

Bengaluru: As India has embarked on the largest coronavirus vaccination drive in the world, joining the ranks of rich nations where the effort is already well underway, medical experts say that

vaccines that contain killed (inactivated) viruses can be given during pregnancy. Vaccines that contain live viruses aren't recommended for pregnant women. It is better to delay pregnancy by two months if women are planning to go for inoculation. Ever since the Centre launched vaccination programme, there have been a lot of doubts as to who can and who should not take vaccines. Recently, the Union government issued guidelines stating pregnant women or those who are not sure of their pregnancy and lactating women should not receive Covid vaccine.

Explaining both the issue, Dr Suman Singh, well-known gynaecologist from BirthRight by Rainbow Children's Hospitals, Bengaluru, says "the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) has reaffirmed its earlier guidance for safe Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) practices. Even after the start of large-scale vaccination programmes, ESHRE recommends continued observance of its previous guidance on modified services and risk mitigation measures in line with local epidemiological data."

However, the government of India has clarified that pregnant and lactating women have not been part of any Covid-19 vaccine clinical trial so far and should not receive the vaccine at this time. ESHRE recommends that men and women living in countries where the vaccine is not available or choosing not to be vaccinated should not be prevented from access to assisted reproduction treatments.

"In men and women who receive the vaccine, it seems prudent to postpone assisted reproduction treatments for at least a few days after the completion of vaccination. A decision on whether to use the vaccine in pregnant women should be made in close consultation with a healthcare professional after considering the benefits and risks. There is currently no information on the role of vaccination in patients and staff who have had Covid-19 and could have developed immunity. Hence, ESHRE has recommended monitoring the outcomes of assisted reproduction treatments and to compare them in vaccinated versus unvaccinated patients," Dr Singh further added.

Dr Singh also recommends that women should postpone pregnancy for two months after receiving the vaccine. Vaccine does not prevent from spreading Covid infection hence it is recommended to continue taking precautionary measures post vaccination also. The best protection starts 10 days after the second dose. Efficacy is 70 to 90 pc against all severity and 100 pc against hospitalisation. Mixing of vaccine brands is not recommended.

India began one of the world's most ambitious vaccination programmes last week, aiming to inoculate 300 million of its population of 1.3 billion by July. According to the data available with The Hans India, till Tuesday, over 3.81 lakh priority group beneficiaries have been vaccinated three days into India's inoculation drive. The country reported 580 severe events and two persons -- a 52-year-old in Moradabad & a 42-year-old in Karnataka -- have reportedly died due to cardiopulmonary disease after getting their shots. The deaths have not been linked to the vaccines till now.