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Dr Leonora Weil

By

Dr Leonora Weil

Opinion

How a Covid jab protects mum and baby

Vaccination is the best line of defence against this wave of infection

December 22, 2021 11:30
GettyImages-1231597669
LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 08: A woman has the AstraZeneca vaccine administered into her arm at a vaccine centre in Battersea Arts Centre on March 8, 2021 in London, England. The site opened today for residents of the London Borough of Wandsworth to receive their covid-19 vaccine. To mark the initiative, Battersea Arts Centre commissioned artists including Inua Ellams, Scottee & Friends, Rosie Jones and coletivA ocupação to create works that provide a "welcoming and creative digital experience for visitors." (Photo by Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images)
1 min read

I am often asked, including by my own Jewish community, if the vaccine is safe in pregnancy. Senior doctors from across the health system strongly recommend Covid vaccination in pregnancy.

We know there are higher risks to mother and baby of having Covid whilst pregnant. Mothers-to-be have greater risk of serious illness with higher rates of intensive care admissions.

Most pregnant women admitted to hospital with severe Covid are unvaccinated. For the baby, there is twice the risk of stillbirth and preterm birth with infection in pregnancy. Pregnant women with underlying clinical conditions are at even higher risk of complications from Covid.

Vaccination is the safest way for women to protect themselves and their babies against severe disease. The vaccines do not contain live virus so cannot infect a mother or baby and do not contain ingredients known to be harmful in pregnancy.

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