COVID-19 vaccination: women of childbearing age, currently pregnant or breastfeeding

Extracts from the guidance:

'The COVID-19 vaccines available in the UK have been shown to be effective and to have a good safety profile. The early COVID-19 vaccines do not contain organisms that can multiply in the body, so they cannot infect an unborn baby in the womb.

Many vaccines can be given safely in pregnancy so why am I being advised against this vaccine?

The vaccines have not yet been tested in pregnancy, so until more information is available, those who are pregnant should not routinely have this vaccine. Non-clinical evidence is required before any clinical studies in pregnancy can start, and before that, it is usual to not recommend routine vaccination during pregnancy'.'

.....'Here are the key points you should consider:

• if you are pregnant you should not be vaccinated unless you are at high risk - you can be vaccinated after your pregnancy is over
• if you have had the first dose and then become pregnant you should delay the second dose until after the pregnancy is over (unless you are at high risk)'

'if you are pregnant but think you are at high risk, you should discuss having or completing vaccination with your doctor or nurse.'

 .....'Breastfeeding 

There are no data on the safety of COVID-19 vaccines in breastfeeding or on the breastfed infant. Despite this, COVID-19 vaccines are not thought to be a risk to the breastfeeding infant, and the benefits of breast-feeding are well known. Because of this, the JCVI has recommended that the vaccine can be received whilst breastfeeding. This is in line with recommendations in the USA and from the World Health Organisation.'

You can download the full pdf guidance document here