“Little is known about the potential effects. I still have doubts because of course I want to protect my baby. I might just not have this. I'll wait until I give birth.”
Sydney nurse and expecting mum, Lori Saavedra says she opts to delay her COVID-19 vaccination due to the lack of data on the effects of COVID-19 vaccine to pregnant women.
Ms Saavedra is one of the many frontline health care workers who is slated in the early phase of the vaccine rollout in Australia.
Highlights
- The first group of Australians will start getting vaccinated against COVID-19 later this month
- The first doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine are now on their way to Australia
- According to the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, there is insufficient evidence to recommend routine use of COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy
The health care worker who is now on her second trimester shares that although she is in favour of the vaccine, she has concerns about its safety to her unborn child.
“I have positive thoughts about the vaccine because it will definitely help to protect against the virus but in my case, as I am pregnant, I won’t take the risk because there are no sufficient findings about the vaccine’s safety to me and my baby."
Pregnant on the frontline
According to the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, there is insufficient evidence to recommend routine use of COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy.
Ms Saavedra reveals that in as much as she wants to get the jab as a defence against the virus, the limited data holds her back.
"I am very concerned because I am exposed to infectious diseases especially here in the hospital but I have to face it.”
As Australia is slowly approaching the vaccine rollout this February, Ms Saavedra shares there hasn’t been any announcement yet on how the process will work for pregnant hospital staff.
“So far there is no announcement yet on how to deal with the roll out especially for pregnant nurses. I still don’t know what’s the correct management for it.”
While the risk is there, she shares that following the safety protocol is her best defence even though she is not assigned in the high-risk area of the hospital.
“As a nurse while pregnant and working in a hospital, I always adhere to the health and work safety policy like wearing the mandatory PPE, hand washing, and I avoid being in contact with patients who have infections."
She adds that proper protocol are also being followed in their hospital in terms of dealing with COVID-19 patients.
"We always assess our patient before we take care of them especially if they have symptoms likened to COVID so they cannot infect people in the hospital and so they can be transferred to a specified ward specialising in COVID.
Does she ever consider getting the vaccine
Ms Saavedra says she will consider getting the vaccine if there are adequate studies about its safety to pregnant women.
"I would consider it, if there are studies to support its safety. For now, they base the findings from countries who have started their vaccination program."
Ms Saavedra adds that she would rather take a more precautious approach for now.
