In this episode of Covid Matters, we spoke to Dr Fatima Husain, a Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) about how the Covid vaccines affect fertility, pregnancy and postpartum maternity.
Many women are still unsure when considering the safety of Covid vaccines before, during, and after pregnancy. Reasons for this may include: the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI)’s advice changing earlier this year, stories circulating about a spike protein in the vaccine which attacks the placenta, or the belief that it’s safer to wait until after the baby is born – as is the case with the MMR vaccine. However, this kind of reasoning against having a Covid vaccination has been disproven and the advice from healthcare professionals including the NHS, the RCOG and the JCVI is consistent: vaccines are safe if you’re planning to have a baby, you’re pregnant or you’re breastfeeding.
It’s worrying then that women remain hesitant, especially when data from the NHS shows that one fifth of the most critically ill patients with Covid are pregnant women who have not been vaccinated. So, we opened the mic to our audience on social media to raise their concerns with an expert and find answers they can trust.
Listen to the full podcast below or find Covid Matters wherever you listen to podcasts.
