Why pregnant women CANNOT have the coronavirus vaccine

Pfizer's groundbreaking coronavirus vaccine will not be offered to pregnant women due to lack of evidence, experts say.

The UK government has issued guidelines that make it clear that expectant mothers should not be vaccinated until after birth.

Women who think they are pregnant are advised to postpone vaccination until they are sure it is not, and those looking for a baby should also not be vaccinated.

The measure is purely precautionary, however, and it is not uncommon for some groups to be excluded from taking brand new vaccines.

Pfizer's vaccine was approved by the UK medical watchdog last week with a good safety rating and no evidence that pregnant women are at risk.

However, scientists behind the sting have not tested it on pregnant or breastfeeding women – which is often the case in scientific studies for scientific reasons – so there is no concrete evidence that it is safe or effective.

Some vaccines containing live versions of the virus are usually not recommended during pregnancy due to the potential for minor infection, while others are considered safe.

Scientists need to do particularly rigorous laboratory tests before they can test a vaccine on pregnant women because the potential consequences of failure are worse. It has not been able to complete this in the short periods of time that coronavirus vaccines have been developed.

Children under the age of 16 are also not offered the vaccine due to a lack of data on safety and effectiveness – the sting has only been tested in adults.

On Tuesday it was decided that people with severe allergies should not receive the vaccine after two NHS workers suffered allergic reactions after the injection.

Dr. Mary Ross Davie of the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) said, “There is currently insufficient evidence to recommend vaccinating pregnant women against Covid-19.

However, & # 39; Public Health England has confirmed that the evidence currently available does not indicate safety concerns or harm to pregnancy.

"There is no evidence of harm, but there is also no up-to-date evidence of safety as, as usual, pregnant women have been excluded from all vaccination attempts."

While studies have shown that mothers can pass Covid-19 on to their unborn child, there is no evidence that pregnant women are more likely than other groups to become seriously ill.

There is also no evidence that contracting the disease can harm an unborn fetus in any way, as most babies and children with Covid-19 are symptom-free.

However, scientists need to play it safe with vaccines. If they can't scientifically prove that something is safe, they won't.

Dr. Davie added, “The RCM is encouraging more research in the near future to evaluate the vaccine's safety in pregnancy and during breastfeeding.

“While we wait to find out more, we urge all pregnant women to get the free flu shot to protect them from the flu viruses that are circulating this winter.

"If you are given a dose of the (Covid) vaccine before you find out you are pregnant, or unwantedly while you are pregnant, you should be sure that it does not affect the success of the vaccine and the risk of harm to yours Babies is small.

"Public Health England recommends that if you find you are pregnant after a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, before your second dose is given, you should complete your pregnancy."

Professor Ian Jones, a virologist at the University of Reading, told MailOnline: “Some, but not all, vaccines are recommended for women during pregnancy.

& # 39; Since there will not have been many pregnant women among the participants in the various Covid Phase III trials, there is no evidence of suitability in one way or another.

“Formally, there should be no reason why vaccines like the BioNtech currently in use could not be given during pregnancy, but pending further data, the council would follow the precautionary principle and hold back for the time being.

"It is of course worth noting that as the general population is immunized, the likelihood of infection in pregnant women decreases as the virus circulation decreases."

Pfizer's Covid Jab is an mRNA vaccine that uses a brand new technology that sends messages to human cells instructing them to produce antibodies.

There are suspicions within the government that one of the more traditional vaccines like that from Oxford University may be safer for pregnant and breastfeeding women.

Oxford's Sting is a viral vector vaccine that uses a genetically modified, weakened form of the common cold that trains the body to fight Covid-19.

Viral vector vaccines used to immunize people against HPV and meningitis have proven their worth, and scientists have a better idea of ​​their safety profiles.

The Pfizer vaccine guidelines on the Department of Health's website state: "Due to the new formulation of this particular vaccine, the MHRA would like to see more non-clinical data before completing the advice on pregnancy."

Pregnant women and children would not receive a coronavirus vaccine until next year.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization (JCVI) has put together a list of priorities that will determine who should be stung first, based on their risk of dying from Covid.

Nursing home residents and the staff who care for them should be at the front of the queue, followed by NHS staff on the front line and all over 80 years.

But logistically and Due to regulatory issues with the storage and distribution of Pfizer's jab, hospitals are granted first access

The vaccine must be stored in special freezers, which are not available in most care facilities, at -70 ° C. Doctors are currently not allowed to split the lots of 975 vials in which they are shipped.

Those over 75 in the queue, followed by those over 70, over 65 and high-risk adults under 65 with diseases such as cancer, followed by medium-risk adults under 65 – including those with diabetes and asthma.

This is followed by over 60s, with over 55s and over 50s forming the final priority groups. Hopefully every vulnerable Briton will be protected by Easter, which has raised hopes of returning to normal by spring.

The general population will be the last to get their hands on it, and the JCVI says they will be prioritized based on age or underlying conditions.

Last night, the MHRA tried to allay fears about the coronavirus vaccine after two people with severe allergies had reactions on V-Day.

The reactions from the two NHS staff led regulators to stop offering the bump to anyone with a history of anaphylactic allergic reactions, which were believed to have been up to 250,000 people.

But its managing director, Dr. June Raine assured Brits last night that reactions were "very rare" and that the vaccine would not have been approved if it had not met strict safety standards.

"No vaccine would be approved if it didn't meet these strict standards – you can be sure of that," she said.

The two NHS workers suffered an "anaphylactoid reaction" after receiving the vaccine.

The reaction is similar to, but milder than, anaphylactic shock, causing a rash, shortness of breath, swelling of the face and tongue, or a drop in blood pressure. Both who were not named should recover well.

Pfizer noted a "very low number" of allergic reactions to the vaccine during its studies after 137 out of 19,000 people who received the vaccine had "potential" allergic reactions – it was not clear how serious they were.

The MHRA has since issued new advice to people who have had severe anaphylactic reactions in the past not to receive the vaccine.

The update states: “People with a history of anaphylaxis with a vaccine, drug, or food should not receive the Pfizer BioNtech vaccine.

"A second dose of the Pfizer BioNtech vaccine should not be given to individuals who have experienced anaphylaxis from the first dose of the Pfizer BioNtech vaccine."