Ministry: Vaccines safe for pregnant and nursing women

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PETALING JAYA: There is increasing evidence to show that Covid-19 vaccinations among pregnant and breastfeeding mothers are safe, according to a set of guidelines released by the Health Ministry.

The “Covid-19 Vaccination in Pregnancy and Breastfeeding” guidelines stated that there was no known risk with giving inactivated virus, bacterial vaccines or toxoids to women during pregnancy or when breastfeeding.

“Pregnant women have been receiving vaccines such as tetanus toxoids, influenza and pertussis vaccination without demonstrable harm to the fetus,” said the ministry, which released the guidelines on June 23.

The ministry explained that both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were mRNA-based vaccines, which built spike proteins to mimic the surface protein of the Covid-19 virus in order to trigger an immune response.

“These vaccines do not contain live Covid-19 virus, so they are not infective to the pregnant mother and her fetus,” it added.

The ministry noted that while there were no reported concerns over the use of the AstraZeneca

vaccine among pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, there was less experience with regards to the use of the vector-based vaccine compared to the mRNA-based vaccines.

“Therefore, the Pfizer or the mRNA-based vaccine remains the preferred option based on the availability of safety data by the Health Ministry,” it said.

The ministry advised pregnant mothers who were keen on the AstraZeneca vaccine to discuss the benefits and risks with their doctors before making an informed decision.

The Sinovac vaccine, it added, was also recommended during pregnancy and breastfeeding, with the benefits outweighing the potential risks.

“The Health Ministry currently recommends the mRNA vaccine as the preferred option, although this may change when new information and data are made available,” it noted.

The ministry added that while fertility was not specifically studied during the clinical trials for these vaccines, no loss of fertility had been reported among trial participants or among the millions of women who had already received the vaccines.

“Women who have completed their vaccination can safely embark on pregnancy without delay,” the ministry said, adding that lactating women would fall within the categories of those prioritised for vaccination.

“Both the World Health Organisation Interim Guidance on the use of Moderna and the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine do not recommend the cessation of breastfeeding for individuals who are vaccinated against Covid-19.

“Similar to pregnant mothers who were excluded from Covid-19 vaccine trials, there is currently little data for nursing mothers.

“However, there is little biological plausibility that the vaccine will cause harm while antibodies to Covid-19 in breast milk may protect the breastfeeding child,” it said.

During lactation, it was unlikely that the vaccine lipid would enter the blood stream and reach breast tissue, added the ministry.