Pregnant women are categorized as a higher risk group when infected with COVID-19. This is because when pregnant women are infected with the virus, they are highly prone to dangerous complications. Then it can turn out to be harmful to the health of the fetus.
Risk of Pregnant Women to COVID-19 Virus
Statistics show that pregnant women are more likely to have dangerous complications and need to be monitored by the Intensive Care Unit ICU as well as they need the ventilator for the breathing aid. Their condition is seen as more critical than non -pregnant women when infected with the virus. According to health experts, women infected with COVID-19 have the greater potential to have problems and complications during pregnancy and after delivery.
Studies also show that pregnant women will have more dominant symptoms such as fever and cough. While non -pregnant women will only be asymptomatic when infected with the virus.. Among the main risks of women having severe symptoms when infected with COVID-19 are due to several factors such as increasing age, high BMI, having a history of health problems such as chronic hypertension and diabetes. However, more research and studies need to be carried out to unravel this matter. The authorities need to review and determine whether the pregnant women need to take the vaccine or not.
Does the COVID-19 Vaccine Immune the Fetus?
Until now there are no clear studies or guidelines regarding the coronavirus vaccine for pregnant women. Even so, there is some recent evidence that the COVID-19 vaccine can protect fetus. According to reports from doctors, SARS-CoV-2 antibodies from vaccines received by pregnant women will be able to be passed to the baby through the placental. Hence it provides the same protective benefits to the fetus in the uterus.
There are several preliminary studies showing that women who received the mRNa vaccine from Moderna or Pfizer during pregnancy, had COVID-19 antibodies in the umbilical cord. Other studies have shown that there are COVID-19 antibodies in breast milk. Thus, it proves that the immunity possessed by the mother can actually be transmitted to the baby before and after birth. This is a new discovery about the vaccine.
According to the pediatrician from Florida Atlantic University, he states that vaccines taken by pregnant women have the potential to provide immune protection to the fetus. This can be proved when one of the frontliner health workers who choose to receive an injection from Moderna mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine when she is 36 weeks of pregnancy. This woman had no history of being infected or had any symptoms of COVID-19 before receiving the injection. She gave birth to her child at 39 weeks and according to the study there were IgG antibodies that were successfully detected in the umbilical cord. Thus it proves that antibodies from a mother can be transmitted to the baby through the placenta. According to him, initially they did not plan to conduct a study on the effectiveness of the Vaccine in pregnant women, but this situation gave him the opportunity to see how immunity can be transmitted to the baby through the umbilical cord.
However, the study did not measure the level of antibodies in the maternal blood, so there is no exact fact whether the antibodies transmitted through the umbilical cord can provide protection to the baby or not. Further studies need to be carried out.
Any Studies About COVID-19 Vaccine to Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women
For your information, further studies regarding the effectiveness of covid-19 vaccine in pregnant women is still under investigation to determine whether this vaccine is safe to be given to pregnant women and babies .
When Is the Right Time for Pregnant Women to Get the Vaccine
To provide maximum protection to individuals from COVID-19 virus, it is recommended for you to take the vaccine as soon as possible.
Can Vaccines Affect the Pregnant or The Baby While Breastfeeding?
The mRNA vaccine works to produce SAR-CoV-2 protein spikes. Your body will produce a type of protein that looks like the virus and at the same time the body’s immune system will identify and learn how to destroy these protein spikes. Thus it will prepare the body’s immune system to encounter the real virus. The mRNA vaccine is short-lived and easily degraded, so it should be stored in a cold temperature and injected as soon as possible after preparation.
As soon as this vaccine is injected into your shoulder, your body will be stimulated to form protein spikes. Then the body’s immune system will attack the protein spikes and destroy the remaining mRNA. Therefore, it is very impossible for this mRNA to reach the breast milk or to the baby through the placenta because it is too easy to be destroyed and unable to survive in the acidic environment in the baby’s stomach.
Does the Vaccine Harmful to the Placenta?
Until now, there are no studies stating that the COVID-19 vaccine can affect or harm the placenta and baby because this vaccine is still new, previous data and existing studies that have been conducted provide reassurance on the safety of vaccine use during pregnancy. However, further investigations need to be carried out to prove this fact.
Can Breast Milk Give Babies Immunity?
If you are vaccinated during the late stages of pregnancy, it is likely that the antibodies produced after receiving the vaccine will be transmitted to the baby through the placenta. It may protect the baby from COVID-19 Virus. It uses the same concept as the flu vaccine which pregnant women should take to protect their babies from flu.
Not sure if breast milk contains antibodies after vaccination. If any, it will provide protection to the baby. However, there is no information on this matter and it needs to be confirmed through study and research.
Conclusion
The importance of the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccine to pregnant women and fetus should be clarified through studies. New information like this is the beginning of a new interesting research process. Hopefully the results will benefit all vaccine recipients.