COVID-19 vaccination and pregnancy planning


Polio

Most vaccines are non-live, and the vaccinated person does not affect others in any way. Some vaccines contain live, weakened pathogens that the vaccinated person can release into the environment. These weakened pathogens (viruses) are not dangerous for the vast majority, but caution should be used in some situations. The greatest number of restrictions exist for the live oral polio vaccine (OPV), since the vaccinated person releases the vaccine virus into the environment within 60 days:

1. Close contact of vaccinated children with children completely unvaccinated against polio is undesirable due to the risk of vaccine-associated polio in susceptible individuals. For the same reason, when vaccinating against polio, the first two doses are given with a non-live vaccine. Playing in the sandbox, walking together, and even visiting are not close contact! Transmission of the vaccine virus occurs through the fecal-oral route, so compliance with hygiene rules mitigates the risks.

2. Vaccination with OPV of older children, if the mother is pregnant and in late pregnancy, is not advisable, since separation of the older child and an unvaccinated newborn can be problematic. In this case, it is better to postpone OPV vaccination until the baby has received 2 doses of inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) and give OPV to both children at the same time, or, if possible, replace it with IPV.

3. Adults and children in a state of immunosuppression should also avoid close contact with people vaccinated with OPV.

The total risk of VAPP for unvaccinated contacts and for children who received OPV as the first dose is 2-4 cases per 1,000,000. As a rule, we are talking about children with immunodeficiency conditions, which themselves are very rare.

A person vaccinated with an oral vaccine against rotavirus infection can also release the vaccine virus into the environment, but it is not dangerous for contacts.

When living together with people in a state of immunosuppression, hygiene measures should be observed, since the vaccine virus can cause gastroenteritis in them.

A person vaccinated against chickenpox may shed the vaccine virus if they develop a rash as a reaction to the vaccine. Direct contact with the rash is necessary for transmission of the virus. It is recommended that it be avoided by unvaccinated and previously disease-free people who are in a state of immunosuppression, as well as non-immune pregnant women. For everyone else, contact with a vaccinated person is completely safe!

Vaccinated with live vaccines against measles, rubella, mumps and tuberculosis are not dangerous for others with any immune status!
More details

COVID-19 vaccination and pregnancy planning

On June 17, 2021, Moscow authorities announced mandatory vaccination of citizens who work in the service sector. There are rumors of mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for healthcare workers, teachers and other various groups of the population. Officials say they plan to vaccinate up to 60% of the population by the fall. The coronavirus pandemic has added to the worries of expectant parents. Life Line patients can discuss all their doubts and worries with their treating reproductive specialist.

How does the vaccine affect fertility?

Despite the alarming rumors that have been circulating on social networks for almost a year (by the way, not only in Russia), there is no reason to claim that vaccination against coronavirus infection can cause disturbances in spermatogenesis in men or reproductive function in women. The Rospotrebnadzor website says: “Russian vaccines against COVID-19 have passed the necessary tests to assess the effect on offspring, primarily on laboratory animals. No negative consequences were identified." Director of the center named after. Gamaleya, where the Sputnik V vaccine was developed, reported that the effect of the vaccine on reproductive function was tested on mice and rabbits, and no negative effects were detected. The Russian Ministry of Health also talks about the safety of vaccines for fertility.

Do I need to be vaccinated before pregnancy/IVF?

According to studies, no negative effects of vaccination on reproductive health have been identified. However, vaccination is voluntary, and we continue to provide protocols for unvaccinated patients, including IVF under compulsory medical insurance; there are no legal restrictions. But we are for patients to be protected from coronavirus before pregnancy.

What should be the interval between vaccination and conception/IVF program?

Women do not start an IVF program (including cryoprotocol) between the introduction of the first and second components of the vaccine. After the introduction of the second component, the reproductologist determines the date of entry into the program individually. Usually the period is 2-3 weeks. During this time, the expectant mother will stop having an acute immune response to the vaccine and will develop her own immunity.

A man can donate sperm for an IVF program 3-5 days after the introduction of any (first or second) component of the vaccine. However, there is still little statistical data on the effect of vaccines on spermatogenesis - there simply has not been time to accumulate them. And anxiety is a bad companion on the path to fatherhood. Therefore, we suggest that future dads freeze the biomaterial before vaccination in order to use it in IVF programs. Cryopreservation does not affect sperm parameters - over the years of using the method, many studies have been conducted that have confirmed this. Freezing together with the examination takes a little time, and will not interfere with getting vaccinated on time.

Can pregnant women get vaccinated? If yes, for what period?

At the end of June, the Ministry of Health changed the current instructions for the Sputnik V vaccines. Administration of vector vaccine to pregnant women is now permitted. But vaccination is possible when the expected benefit to the mother outweighs the potential risk to the fetus, the document states. There is no final understanding yet at what stage of pregnancy vaccination is possible. We are waiting for clarification from the Ministry of Health. Now the decision is made together with the attending physician, and is carried out at a time when the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risk.

Let's sum it up

  • Men can enter into the protocol/plan to conceive 3-5 days after any injection. If desired, sperm can be cryopreserved before vaccination.
  • Women are advised to wait 2-3 weeks after the second vaccination. During this time, the expectant mother will develop her own immunity. However, the decision in each case must be discussed with your doctor.
  • Sputnik V is approved for vaccination of pregnant women when the expected benefit to the mother outweighs the potential risk to the fetus. The decision on when to vaccinate is made together with the attending obstetrician.

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Contraindications

Only a doctor can decide whether Polimilex is suitable for vaccination

"Polimilex" is contraindicated if there is a history of an allergic reaction to any component of the vaccine.

Vaccination "Polimilex" is contraindicated in the following cases:

  • Severe reaction to a previous vaccine.
  • Known hypersensitivity to one or more components of the vaccine.
  • A disease accompanied by fever, an acute infectious or chronic disease in the acute stage. Vaccination is carried out 2-4 weeks after recovery or during the period of convalescence or remission. For mild ARVI, acute intestinal diseases, etc., vaccinations are carried out immediately after the temperature has normalized.
  • Severe reaction (temperature above 40 °C, swelling and hyperemia at the injection site greater than 8 cm in diameter) or a complication of a previous drug administration.

I'm planning a pregnancy - should I get vaccinated against coronavirus?

For pregnant women, exposure to coronavirus can be doubly dangerous. According to recent research by scientists in the United States, during pregnancy women are much more susceptible to the negative effects of COVID-19 and are more likely to experience a severe course of the disease. Therefore, when planning a pregnancy, many women want to protect themselves and their unborn child during a pandemic.

There is no reason to believe that vaccination can have a negative effect on the reproductive system. The myth that vaccination against coronavirus can lead to infertility was born in the fall of 2020 and its author was a Covid dissident and former employee of Pfizer (developer of one of the COVID-19 vaccines). According to him (which, by the way, has not been confirmed by anything), the S-protein of the coronavirus is very similar to the protein syncytin-1 contained in the placenta. This story was quickly refuted, but the myth had already spread throughout the world.

Therefore, based on the available data, it can be argued that vaccination against coronavirus will not affect reproductive function or pregnancy itself. However, to exclude the possibility of contraindications to vaccination, consultation with a doctor is necessary.

You can sign up for coronavirus vaccination by calling + 7 812 327 03 01

Video on the topic

Dr. Komarovsky about who should not be vaccinated:

At the moment, experts are divided on various vaccinations for older children against life-threatening infectious diseases. Should babies be vaccinated if the mother is pregnant?

Some doctors argue that it is imperative to vaccinate children, especially during periods of epidemics. Others categorically advise against doing this, as there is a risk of harm to the body of the unborn baby. What to do in this or that case is up to you and your personal doctor to decide.

What kind of disease is this

Is it possible to get infected from a vaccinated child?

Poliomyelitis is an acute infectious disease caused by the poliovirus hominis virus, which belongs to the group of enteroviruses, that is, intestinal viruses.

The disease is characterized by high contagiousness, that is, there is a high probability of infecting a random person with the disease.

The gray matter in the spinal cord is affected, leading to depression of the central nervous system and muscle paralysis.

At risk are children aged six months to seven years - they are the ones most likely to develop pathologies, but older people can also get sick.

Future US President Franklin Roosevelt suffered from polio at the age of thirty-nine!

A child of kindergarten age is prone to violating the rules of cleanliness, and in countries with a low level of sanitary culture, morbidity rates have always been higher.

Parents should be wary if they observe the following symptoms:

    temperature up to 39-40 °C;

Is it possible to get infected from a vaccinated child?

headaches and muscle pain;

indigestion: nausea, vomiting, abnormal bowel movements, loss of appetite.

The incubation period lasts from three days to a month , usually about ten days - during this period the virus spreads throughout the body.

Forms of poliomyelitis depending on the nature of pathogenesis:

    Spinal – the upper parts of the spinal cord are affected, up to the lumbar.

Bulbar - effects on the nuclei of the cranial nerves inside the spinal cord trunk.

Pontine - the nucleus of the facial nerve is affected.

Mixed forms, as derivatives of those listed.

Post-vaccination reactions

There is practically no reaction to the introduction of a live vaccine. In extremely rare cases, a slight increase in body temperature is possible 5-14 days after vaccination. In young children, a slight increase in bowel movements may occur, which lasts 1-2 days and goes away on its own without treatment. After administration of an inactivated vaccine, in a small percentage of cases there may be local reactions in the form of swelling and redness. Very rarely, a general reaction may occur in the form of a slight rise in body temperature, anxiety of the child on the first or second day after vaccination, which soon disappear.

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