I was lucky enough to have both pfizer shots before getting pregnant earlier this year. I'm now 26 weeks and have been invited to get the booster. I'll be honest, before Omicron rocked up, I thought I'd wait until giving birth. I'm light years away from being an antivaxxer, I wanted the jabs in my arm the second I could get them. But I just felt that I'd probably have a good enough immune response from being double jabbed and I'm a bit of a hermit anyway. Now that the world is once again going to sh*t I'm rethinking it. I'm guessing not many people would have been vaccinated as soon as I was (I'm a volunteer with charities for homeless people - it wasn't because I had any underlying health issues) so it's probably not a dilemma you have to face yet but immunity wanes after 6 months and pregnancy lasts 9 months, so you soon will. I think I will get the booster but I don't know if asap or closer to due date. I'd be grateful for any thoughts. What would you do in my shoes?
Thanks xoxo
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I got called up for my jab earlier than most so I’m just past the 6 month mark from my second jab and currently 18 weeks pregnant. I have my booster booked for 3 weeks time.
I honestly was itching to get mine as I was really worried about not having enough cover left by the time I hit my third trimester. It’s worth having a look on the RCOG website just to put your mind at ease about having it and the current statistics for pregnant women. I know it feels like a huge decision but I would try and have it so you’re covered for your last trimester as that’s when catching covid can be really dangerous for you and baby xxx
Personally, I’d take it. There is no reason to think a booster would be more risky than the first 2 jabs, and there is now vast evidence demonstrating their safety in pregnancy. I have had both of my COVID jabs during this pregnancy (13 and 21 weeks) and no issues so far. I doubt I’ll be offered a booster while pregnant unless they close the gap between jabs 2 and 3 substantially but I’d take it if offered. Xx
I had my second jab at the end of July, a couple of weeks before our FET and I'd been monitoring the updates to see when I may be able to get the booster. I'd like to get it sooner rather than later so that me and little one are protected, especially during the third trimester and now with Omicron... I've had the flu and whooping cough jabs so far this pregnancy and I felt fine after the first two covid jabs. I don't think that the booster is more of a risk (they're offering a fourth dose to immunocompromised people), especially when compared to the risk of being unwell during pregnancy, so personally I'd want it asap to see me through and before immunity wanes. But it's a very individual decision. X
Hi. I think it’s always got to be personal choice but my best friend has had both doses, the second one whilst in her first trimester with no side effects.
She was recently admitted to hospital with Covid and has been really poorly for two weeks. A scan yesterday showed everything is fine with baby and she’s due in January.
I guess what I’m trying to demonstrate is that immunity does wane and to keep you and your baby safe if it was me, I wouldn’t be waiting until closer to due date. If you can get protected now then I’d do it.
Hiya, I was reading up on this last night - I had my second dose in July, fell pregnant a month later and still managed to contract covid at the end of October when I was 12/13 weeks. I wasn't hospital poorly but felt pretty rough for a good few weeks. And my immunity should have been pretty decent from the vaccines, had still been wearing masks and regularly washing hands, meeting up outside, no other health issues etc. No idea where I picked it up. Everything I have read on the official sites says the benefits of the vaccine massively outweigh the risk of getting covid.
Have a look at the rcog website though like someone above has said as it is definitely personal choice.
I am the exact same as you - had my second dose in August, fell pregnant not long after and just contracted covid last week at 12 weeks. I haven't felt great at all and was surprised my immunity wasn't stronger - same background as you. I will get the booster as soon as it's offered once I've checked with my midwife. x
Hey lovely, I’ve had both jabs and had my booster jab 3 weeks ago at 21 weeks pregnant. It really is down to personal choice, so it is totally up to you. One of the main reasons I decided to have it was I am back working in the office a couple of times a week and we have had quite a few cases of people being off with Covid lately and I wanted to have that extra security for me and baba. I didn’t have any bad reactions to any of my jabs, just a bit of an achey arm. All the best lovely and do what feels right for you and your baby x
Morning, I’m pretty nervous about getting the booster but with this new variant around I don’t want to take any risks. I caught COVID in early pregnancy and it was horrible and that’s after being vaccinated, so I really don’t want to risk catching it in my final trimester. I used to live in Florida and there were so many pregnant women in intensive care because they weren’t vaccinated. X
Nurse in the NHS so had my jabs very early (Dec 2020, then Jan 2021) then I was keen to get a booster in Oct 2021 as I was 28 weeks and like you working with a population group who are likely at higher risk of COVID and also less 'COVID sensible'. I felt the risk of COVID in my third trimester was significantly higher then and possibly side effects from the booster. Had the booster no problems.
All the health advice is get vaccinated/ have a booster. I would advocate boosting you immunity now to mitigate the worst of this new variant should you get it.
I'm 20 weeks and desperate to get my booster jabs! The evidence is clear now that receiving vaccinations during pregnancy protects mother and baby and doesn't cause any harm to them during pregnancy. However, unvaccinated women in their 3rd trimester are at significant risk and therefore so are their babies. The vaccine efficiency wanes over time so getting a booster jab will offer the best protection currently possible for you and baby. I'm still being cautious with social events such as gigs, clubs and theatre etc as they carry the most risk, but I have been eating out etc. I think I'll scale it back a bit now because of Omicron. It's not that big of a sacrifice.
I was the same as you, I work in the NHS although not in a clinical facing role so I qualified to have a booster in October. I was really apprehensive about it and deliberated for a couple of weeks. In the end I did have it as I felt for me that the positives outweigh the negatives. It is a really hard decision to make though. I think I was about 17 weeks and I've had no side effects and baby is fine.
I had mine yesterday 😊 I’ve been double vaccinated since April. I was nervous but talked with midwife who said the benefits outweigh the risks. Apart from a sore arm I feel completely fine.
Hello, sorry to hijack. I haven’t had any covid vaccine before and I am now 10 weeks pregnant, I have had covid before and was fine so really wasn’t interested in getting it. If I was to get the covid vaccine now would I not be too early because immunity lasts 6 months? I am considering getting it for the sake of baby but think it might be too early as I’m due in 7 months. If so when would be the best time in terms of immunity for the baby, 2nd trimester?
As you haven’t had a jab, you’d be eligible for 2 doses (first and second, not booster). If you got your first dose now, or soon, you’d be able to get a second dose 8 weeks later, which would then offer you decent protection in third trimester, plus you may yet be able to get a booster while pregnant. A single jab won’t offer you either strong or long-lasting protection, you need at least 2 (with having had COVID before, your second jab should give you really strong protection versus someone who never had COVID) Xx
Thank you, that is very helpful, I think I will get the first after my 12 week scan, and then second at 20 weeks as I beleive that’s the time to get whooping cough, did you have them both around the same time? x
I had a gap between COVID, flu, and whooping-first COVID at 13 weeks and second at 21. Flu at 22 weeks and whooping cough 28 weeks. Current guidance is you don’t need to have a gap between COVID and others, at the time there was a gap recommended and also my jabs were partly dictated by availability and eligibility. Whooping cough I wanted late as in the US they advise after 27 weeks for max protection of baby at birth (I am in the UK but decided to get other jabs out of the way and do WC at the end). If you’re unsure of the best plan for you, talk to your midwife or GP xx
Thank you, I’m in the UK too I haven’t had my flu vaccine either. I have never had a vaccine in my adult life so this is all new to me, I would like to discuss with my GP however they are overcrowded and never have appointments unless it’s for emergency, I will definitely ask my midwife at my 16 week appointment x
Yeah it’s not a great time to talk to them unfortunately. Your midwife should be able to help though. If it helps, all I got was a slightly sore arm for 24h from COVID and flu jabs. Whooping cough I had a very mildly sore arm for 3 days and a little off my food for a day, but felt otherwise completely fine. Xx
TBH, the NHS would not recommend it so early if they thought it would not be beneficial so I suspect the antibodies must be fairly long-lived. I did not do any digging to see whether there is a difference in protection. So, don’t sweat it 😊 xx
I had both jabs when pregnant last year (I had gestational diabetes) and I had my booster in October while breastfeeding. My husband and baby recently got covid, but baby was pretty much asymptomatic and I tested negative throughout. Get the booster 👍
Congratulations on your pregnancy! 🥰 I can’t really advice you what to do, as this is such a tricky situation and everyone needs to make a decision they are happy with. But thought I would let you know that I had the first vaccine while pregnant! I was almost 32 weeks pregnant when I had it! So far all has been well! Baby is happy, healthy and well! Obviously no one knows long term, but we won’t have any more info on that for years to come. I had second dose after he was here, while breastfeeding. I am hoping he got a little bit of protection from me! 🤞
For me it was a decision of which “what if” I could live with … and what was perhaps higher risk of happening. I felt the risk of the vaccine during pregnancy to my unborn at the time.. was probably unlikely. I could of course had side effects and bad reactions to it.. but again, felt very unlikely as they were rare. Obviously don’t know.. but based on other vaccines in the past and felt I might have to trust science. The risk of me getting covid and perhaps getting really poorly with it.. even if kept to myself I felt was much higher. And if I ended up in hospital the treatment options are less due to pregnancy. So I felt that was more risk for myself and my little one. I have not read too much yet about new variant.. just find it all so depressing now. But.. think I heard they are wondering if vaccines are not as efficient. So I feel in that case a booster would do good surely. To up protection as much as possible. So I will have booster when I can. Sadly not due yet and I am of course not pregnant anymore. So I am just waiting for my turn and 6 months after my second dose! So got to be really careful again now!
Wishing you all the best with your decision!! It is not an easy one., I found it so hard when I was pregnant… it brought me to tears a few times and even the day I had it I cried. But weirdly enough I felt really relieved afterwards. Perhaps as decision was made and done 😂😇🥰
Wish we had a crystal ball.. would make it all a bit easier.
Hope you are ok and like say - keep safe and all the best!! 🧡
Ps. Just to say if I could have I would have had vaccine earlier in pregnancy, prior to 3rd trimester. But advice at the time was to not have it.. then advice changed, but I was so scared I waited until I had read up on it and “happy” with my decision.
Thank you ladies. You've carried me over the line. Sometimes, on particularly dark days, I wonder if they would actually tell us the truth if they discovered negative long term impacts after having told us they were safe so quickly. I don't know what's wrong with me, I've never been the anxious type - I remember having a travel vaccine which had the side effect of DEATH and I just laughed it off- but the thought of causing my baby harm later on in life twists me up. My risk tolerance has absolutely plummeted. Maybe festering miscarriage trauma.. Anyway.. Thank you all for taking the time to respond and take care ❤
Given that Pfizer was testet on 34.000 pregnant US women before even being introduced to pregnant women in the UK (and it's been deemed safe again and again, and a much safer option than not getting a vaccine) I would personally take it. I understand the hesitation of course, but there is so much evidence to suggest it is safe to take. My pregnant friend, who's had both shots, got COVID, and said it was tough (I guess because baby is pressing on her lungs making her and other pregnant women not vulnerable). Imagine if she hadn't had the shots, she could've ended up in a much more serious condition
Personally I will be getting it if offered. I had my first jab between pregnancies (early miscarriage in March, first dose in April, pregnant again by June. I then had my second dose in July at 8 weeks. It did cause some bleeding (may or may not have been related to the vaccine) and I had an early scan to be sure but baby was fine. I am currently 29 weeks, due in Feb. I’ll be getting the booster if I’m offered it whether baby has arrived or not. I had a prem baby previously so there’s no way I’m risking getting covid without having had all the available vaccines. I absolutely don’t want to go through a prem caesarean again if it’s something that can potentially be avoided x
Hi. I will be getting my booster as soon as I’m called. Which should be within a few weeks I expect. I am now 16 weeks pregnant and don’t want to catch covid at all. I had a cold the other day and was being careful so catching covid would probably be just as easy to catch I expect! There is now evidence of thousands of pregnant women who have had their vaccines and have now gone on to have had healthy babies. I think the covid vaccine is similar to the flu vaccine and women have been having that for years. Having covid and being pregnant is such a big risk.
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