26 minutes agoAuthor: Ravindra Bhajani
More than 57 crore doses of Kovid-19 vaccine have been given in India. Of these, 30.13 crore doses have been taken by men and 26.89 crore by women. Women are lagging behind men in vaccination. For this reason, last week the National Commission for Women has written a letter to the Chief Secretaries of all the states giving instructions to reduce the gender gap. So that more and more women can be vaccinated.
It is not that women in India are hesitant to get the vaccine. A study by the Melbourne Institute in Australia says that women between the ages of 18 and 44 are the most reluctant about the vaccine. Women fear that the vaccine may affect their chances of becoming pregnant. A BBC report last week also claimed that misleading information related to fertility, miscarriage from the Kovid-19 vaccine is circulating on the Internet. These are also affecting women.
The question is whether women planning pregnancy should get the vaccine or not? Will the vaccine affect fertility? Should pregnant women get the vaccine? To get answers to these questions, we spoke to Dr. Ankita Dubey (Consultant Obstetrician Gynecologist and Laparoscopic Surgeon at Narayana Multispecialty Hospital) Ahmedabad and Dr. CP Dadhich (Director, Obstetrics, Gynecology and IVF, Fortis Escorts Hospital) from Jaipur.
Is the Vaccine Affecting Women’s Periods and Fertility?
- Vaccination data over the past few months has shown that delayed periods after vaccination are also a side effect. It is being discussed on many internet forums. Clinical research has also started on these reports. Preliminary data suggests that increased/increased bleeding during periods, delayed periods are the problems faced by a large number of women.
- Even though there is no scientific evidence that the vaccine is affecting periods, women are linking it to fertility. Because of this, the percentage of vaccination among women between the ages of 18 and 35 is low.
Will getting the vaccine affect my chances of getting pregnant?
- No. There is no evidence that the Kovid-19 vaccine can affect the chances of getting pregnant. No biological reason has been found for this. In real-world studies, the opposite results have come to the fore.
- Pfizer did a study. In this, vaccinated and non-vaccinated women were kept in separate groups. The pregnancy rate was similar in both the groups. Researchers are studying the short-term changes in periods, but there is no indication that the vaccine dose poses any threat to fertility.
Has any regulator issued any alert in this regard?
- No. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as well as obstetrician groups have also allowed pregnant women to be vaccinated. In India too, the government has included pregnant women in the vaccination program only last month.
- Research suggests that pregnant women are at higher risk of being admitted to the ICU if they are infected with Kovid-19. The risk of their health deteriorating and death is also high. For this reason, he has been advised to get the Kovid-19 vaccine.
- The CDC collected data on thousands of pregnant women who received the vaccine and found that the situation is returning to what it was before the pandemic. During this time, problems like premature birth and still birth were being seen due to Kovid-19 infection.
- Dr. Dubey says that vaccination does not affect your chances of getting pregnant. The initial research study was intimidating, but now many studies have given opposite results. No relationship has been established between vaccination and pregnancy.
Is it safe to get the vaccine during pregnancy?
- Yes. The Government of India has also said in the new guideline that vaccination is safe during pregnancy. It is necessary for all people to be vaccinated against Kovid-19. Earlier, the Federation of Obstetrics and Gynecology has also declared the vaccination safe during pregnancy and for women who are breastfeeding.
- Dr. Dadhich says that the Kovid-19 vaccine has nothing to do with fertility. This is a myth. No evidence exists to substantiate this claim. Pregnant women were not included in the initial vaccine trials, but now after research, they have also been advised to vaccinate.
- Kovid-19 vaccination reduces the risk of infection and severe symptoms. It protects mothers and their babies from infection. In such a situation, it is important that all women get the vaccine. Get whatever vaccine is available. Whether you are planning a child or have become pregnant.