By Tanya Maswaure
In August of 2021, after the world had been battling the Covid-19 pandemic, the FDA approved the first vaccine against covid-19. Many countries followed and began distributing and approving various vaccines against this disease from that point on. Currently, 60% of the world population has received at least one vaccine dosage, and as more research is done, more individuals are getting vaccinated. Throughout all this development, scientists have been investigating and further testing how the vaccine would react to vulnerable populations, including children and pregnant women. Finally, some breakthroughs have been revealed.
According to Sir Michael McBride and several research centres in the UK, Covid-19 during pregnancy carries a far higher risk than having the vaccine. Therefore, they needed to assure the safety of both mother and child. While in the early stages of the vaccine, there was much hesitancy towards it, more research has given people the confidence, thanks to research from medical professionals such as the doctors from the University of Edinburg. According to most recent studies, the mRNA vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna) is recommended in pregnancy. It doesn’t matter which one—both are safe and effective in pregnancy or breastfeeding and elicit a good immune response.
Following the confirmations of several medical institutions, more countries such as Egypt have also begun to encourage their resident pregnant women to receive the vaccine against covid. The EU has also recently approved this mandate for all European pregnant women. More doctors and platforms have begun to recommend it on all media platforms, including YouTube and several newsletters. Pregnancy and parenting websites also suggest that an individual who has already gotten both vaccine shots should also immediately get the booster shot, especially if pregnant, regardless of their trimester.
This news does not only give hope and confidence for the vaccine, but more importantly, it assures that future generations will be safe and that one day we will look back at the pandemic as a tragic period we successfully overcame.
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