PETALING JAYA: Covid-19 vaccines can be given to pregnant women at any stage of their pregnancy to protect themselves and their foetus, say health experts.

       Prince Court Medical Centre obstetrics and gynaecology consultant Dr Shilpa Nambiar said when the first vaccines were rolled out, there was apprehension among pregnant women.

       But over a year into the pandemic, she said pregnant women who were vaccinated in the United Kingdom and the United States had not shown any adverse effects.

       “Clinical trials were also conducted to ensure that the vaccine is safe for both mother and baby.

       “We know that none of the ingredients used in the vaccine are harmful to the mother or the baby, and the recommendation now is that they can get vaccinated at any stage of their pregnancy, even in their first trimester,” she said when contacted.

       In its latest update for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, the Health Ministry said that in balancing the benefits of vaccination against the risks, pregnant mothers should not be denied vaccination at any stage of gestation.

       The guidelines said non-live vaccines such as mRNA, vector-based and inactivated vaccines were not contraindicated in pregnancy.

       The ministry also noted that mRNA vaccines had the best available safety data in pregnancy and remained the preferred option.

       However, based on the V-Safe Data Registry and New England Journal of Medicine preliminary findings on mRNA vaccine safety, it was noted that only a small minority of mothers received their vaccination in the first trimester while the majority were vaccinated in the second trimester.

       As such, the guidelines said it was optimal to offer the vaccination after 12 weeks of pregnancy to ensure that organogenesis (when organs are formed in the foetus) had been completed, adding that pregnant mothers were encouraged to make an informed decision if they chose to get the vaccine much earlier.Under the ministry’s previous guidelines, vaccination was recommended for pregnant women between week 14 and 33 of their pregnancy.

       Dr Shilpa said pregnant women were hesitant about getting the vaccine as they were worried about its effects on the baby.

       “We now have enough evidence that they can get vaccinated at any stage of their pregnancy because any antibody, through the mother, will cross the placenta and protect the baby as well.

       “There is also evidence to suggest that when the mother has been vaccinated, she has antibodies against Covid-19 as they pass through the breast milk and protect the baby for up to 10 months,” she added.

       Thomson Hospital consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Thaneemalai Jeganathan said pregnant women were concerned about vaccination as it was perceived to be harmful to the foetus.

       But he said the vaccine had been proven to protect pregnant women from severe infection compared to those who were not vaccinated.

       “The Health Ministry has recommended vaccination during pregnancy from 14 to 33 weeks.

       “The benefits far outweigh the risks. Covid-19 during pregnancy causes more harm to the mother and the growing foetus. Vaccination has been shown to reduce the severity of the disease,” he added.

       KPJ Tawakkal KL Specialist Hospital obstetrician and gynaecologist consultant Dr Patricia Lim Su-Lyn said pregnant women were generally worried about the safety of their foetus and had reservations about anything they did and ate, including immunisation.

       But she added that Covid-19 vaccination should be carried out on all pregnant women 12 weeks and above as they were most vulnerable at the end of the second and third trimesters.

       University Malaya Medical Centre obstetrician and gynaecologist Prof Dr Jamiyah Hassan concurred, noting that they should be encouraged to get the influenza, tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis vaccine too.

       “If you look at data from the United Kingdom and the United States, it doesn’t show an increased risk of foetal or congenital abnormality if the Covid-19 vaccine is given in the first 12 weeks.

       “Theoretically, we can still give the influenza or Covid-19 vaccine in the first trimester,” she added.

       On Wednesday, Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said there had been 70 cases of maternal deaths due to Covid-19 since the pandemic began.