BENGALURU: When the anti-COVID-19 vaccines do arrive, those hoping to get the shots should ensure that they do not have any COVID-19 symptoms. Women of child-bearing age also need to ensure that they do not conceive for a certain duration after getting the dosage. While the government has prioritised that health workers, frontline workers, senior citizens and those with co-morbidities will get the shots first, pregnant women and those with COVID-19 symptoms will remain vulnerable to contracting the virus.
In the absence of any safety trials conducted on pregnant women, regulators in Britain have advised not to offer vaccine shots to pregnant women, and the authorities there have cautioned women of child-bearing age to avoid getting pregnant at least for two months after they have been vaccinated.Experts said that in the absence of vaccine trial data on pregnant women, there are no convincing indicators to show its effects on the well-being of the mother and unborn child.
Also, with vaccine trials being conducted only on healthy individuals, the Union Health Ministry on Friday clarified that those with COVID-related symptoms will not be vaccinated, although those who have been infected and recovered will be given the shots in the hope of boosting their immunity.
Explaining the Health ministry’s clarification through an FAQ released on Friday, Dr Satyanarayana Mysore, head of pulmonology at Manipal Hospital, explained, “There will be high chances of the infection spreading at the vaccination site. Besides, giving a jab when someone has symptoms might inappropriately stimulate the immune system.”
No data on vaccine reactions, say experts
Dr Giridhara Babu, senior epidemiologist said that COVID-related symptoms like cold, cough and fever – though subjective whether they are actually COVID-related – might trigger adverse reactions in them. “In most of the trials, vaccines have been administered only on healthy individuals with no COVID or COVID-like symptoms. So we don’t know what reactions it might evoke,” he said.
Regarding those who have recovered from a bout of COVID, the Health Ministry’s FAQs say: “…it is advisable to receive a complete schedule of the vaccine, irrespective of past history of COVID-19 infection. This will help in developing a strong immune response against the disease.”
Still, questions are being raised, with a senior medical expert saying, “It is convenient for the government to just play safe by insisting that everyone takes the vaccines even if they had been infected by COVID. None of the vaccines which are being approved have conducted trials on COVID-infected patients, except for Pfizer. But their trials too have shown no additional benefits among people already infected.”
On vaccinating pregnant women, Dr Hema Divakar, former president, Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI) and FOGSI ambassador to The International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), said that generally, in the case of pregnancy, they cannot draw a line as what could have caused foetal malformation, whether it is the vaccine or any other problem. “Ethically, testing cannot be done during pregnancy as it involves two lives (mother and child). Health experts are hesitant even to prescribe a simple antibiotic. Now, this has become a big question. In the initial or later stages of pregnancy, administering vaccines is not suggested,” she said.
Dr Soumya Lakshmi T V, consultant, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Aster CMI Hospital, said, “Although pregnant women are considered a high-risk group and should be on the priority list, a vaccine has still not been tested on them, and we lack data on whether it will be effective or will have any repercussions. Women they should consult their doctor before getting a shot.”
No vaccine approved for pregnant women
Health professionals said the Centre For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), under the World Health Organisation, has not yet endorsed a vaccine for pregnant women and, in the absence of trial data, Indian regulators should closely watch the steps other countries are taking while giving the vaccine to expectant mothers.