Should Pregnant Women Get the Covid-19 Vaccine?
Malaysia gives birth to about 500,000 people annually. It is reasonable to assume that there are about 600,000 pregnancies per year, as some pregnancies will eventually lead to miscarriage. The jury has yet to predict that pregnancy will increase this year (2021) due to mobility restrictions, but the chief statistician did. report It means that the number of babies born in the first quarter of the year has actually decreased. The information in this article is from an international review. Current evidence suggests that pregnant women are as likely to be infected with Covid-19 as any other healthy adult. About two-thirds of pregnant women infected are asymptomatic (that is, asymptomatic). Most infected people have mild symptoms such as colds and the flu. However, many people have moderate to severe illness. Pregnant women infected with Covid-19 may be at increased risk of serious illness, especially during the last three months of pregnancy (three months), compared to non-pregnant women. As a precautionary measure, pregnant people are on the list of moderate risks of Covid-19 in most countries. No adverse effects reported  Pregnant women in Malaysia are eligible to be registered for the Covid-19 vaccine. Vaccination is currently voluntary, so it is their choice to go ahead and wait for more information about the vaccine. My last column, I discussed how Covid-19 can affect pregnant women and newborns. These factors are one of the factors to consider when deciding whether a pregnant woman will be vaccinated. Pregnant women have not participated in any clinical trials that have tested the safety and efficacy of various Covid-19 vaccines. This means that there is limited information about the effects of such vaccination during pregnancy. Therefore, it is not possible to be 100% certain that the vaccine will cause adverse events during pregnancy. This uncertainty needs to be considered for the risk of developing Covid-19 during pregnancy. However, a few women who were vaccinated in the trial subsequently became pregnant. In these cases, no safety issues have been reported. US data on approximately 90,000 pregnant women vaccinated (mainly Pfizer / BioNTech and Moderna vaccines) raise no safety concerns. The Covid-19 vaccine does not contain ingredients that are known to be harmful to pregnant women or the foetation. Animal studies have also shown no evidence that the vaccine is harmful to pregnancy. In addition, pregnant women have been vaccinated against tetanus toxoid, flu, whooping cough, etc., but no fetal harm has been reported. The Pfizer / BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine provokes an immune response by the SARS-CoV-2 viral spike protein produced in the body from the mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid) chain that is part of the vaccine. The AstraZeneca / Oxford Covid-19 vaccine works the same, except that it uses a DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) strand instead of mRNA. The Sinovac vaccine is an inactivated vaccine. That is, it is composed of killed SARS-CoV-2 virus particles. All of these vaccines do not contain live viruses, so they do not infect pregnant women or the foetation. According to the government, Malaysian pregnant women Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine providedHowever, the ones from AstraZeneca / Oxford or Sinovac are excluded. Rare side effects  Vaccination is effective in preventing illness. Pregnancy inevitably increases the risk of thrombosis, but when a woman becomes infected with Covid-19, thrombosis is exacerbated.  Positive parenting  Even if you are vaccinated and infected with Covid-19, the risk of aggravation, hospitalization, and death is minimized. Vaccination itself does not cause Covid-19. The side effects of vaccination are common in the general population. These include injection site pain, muscle aches, headaches, tiredness, and joint pain. Very rare allergic reactions occur in people with a history of allergies. The effects of these side effects on pregnancy have not been reported. The media focused on thrombosis caused by the Covid-19 vaccine caused unnecessary anxiety and fear. The European Medicines Agency estimates that the risk of cerebral vein thrombosis (CVT) after receiving the AstraZeneca / Oxford vaccine is 5.0 per million (average 4.3-5.8). Oxford University Academic Clinical Fellow Dr Maxime Taquet and recent colleagues Examination Data from over 1 million US people. Of the patients diagnosed with Covid-19, the incidence of CVT was 39 per million. For those who received the mRNA Covid-19 vaccine (Pfizer / BioNTech and Moderna), the incidence was 4.1 per million. Therefore, the risk of CVT was 10-fold higher in Covid-19 patients compared to vaccinated patients. The usual risk of thrombosis during pregnancy in Malaysia ranges from 500 to 2,000 per million people. Timing of vaccination  Vaccination in early pregnancy is early prevention. Since the pregnancy lasts 9 months, there is still uncertainty about the protection period after the completion of the double vaccination, so the question is whether there is still protection at the end of the pregnancy. Vaccination after the first semester (3 months) provides better protection against Covid-19. Covid-19 is associated with more complications in the third semester. Early pregnancy is the time when fetal development occurs and the risk of miscarriage is highest. There is no evidence that the Covid-19 vaccine affects fetal development, but vaccination should be started after the first trimester of pregnancy. This prudent approach avoids the suspicion that vaccination, pregnancy, and fetal harm, even by chance, are involved. Women who become pregnant shortly after receiving the first vaccination can continue the second vaccination. However, the second dose can be delayed until the end of the first semester. The second dose of the current mRNA vaccine has not significantly impacted recipient protection and is delayed by up to 12 weeks from the first dose in some countries due to availability issues. However, it remains an open question whether this effect in the general population also applies to pregnant people. Currently, there are no data to delay the second dose of Sinovac and Sputnik V vaccines. This issue may be resolved with single dose vaccines such as Johnson & Johnson and CanSino, which are not yet registered in Malaysia. Takeaway message  Talking with your doctor will help you address your questions about Covid-19 vaccination during pregnancy. Even after vaccination, it is important to avoid people with symptoms that suggest Covid-19. It is also advisable to follow the following non-pharmacological interventions:  Physical distance, especially in the third semester  Wearing a face mask  Frequent hand washing with water and soap, or hand disinfection with at least 60% alcohol-based hand sanitizer  Avoiding crowds, closed spaces, and close contact  Correct etiquette for coughing and sneezing  Stay home as much as possible, and  If you feel unwell, see a doctor immediately. Dr. Milton Lam is a former president of the Federation of Private Medical Associations and the Malaysian Medical Association. For more information, please email starhealth. @ thestar.com.my. Original viewWhat is pushed does not represent the organization to which the writer is associated. The information provided is for educational and communication purposes only and should not be construed as personal medical advice. The information contained in this article is not intended to be reused.A place to consult, replace, or enhance your healthcare professional. Star Will not be liable for any direct or indirect loss, property damage or personal injury incurred from its reliance on such information.