Experts urge to delay pregnancy by 2 months after taking COVID vaccine

New Delhi, Jan 30: Amid the nationwide mass vaccination drive gynaecologists and fertility experts in India have urged people to delay planning a pregnancy until two months after they get the vaccine against Covid-19.

Meanwhile, World Health Organisation, a day before, has recommended against the use of the vaccine during pregnancy except in those at high risk of exposure or having a severe case.

However, WHO said it does not recommend pregnancy testing before vaccination, nor does it recommend delaying pregnancy following vaccination.

It further stated that lactating women be offered the vaccines, saying that the shots are unlikely to pose a risk to breastfeeding children.

Pregnancy alters the body's immune system and its response to viral infections in general, which can occasionally be reflected in more severe symptoms. This holds true for Covid-19 as well.

Pregnant or lactating women have not been part of any Covid-19 vaccine clinical trial, and so women who are pregnant or not sure of their pregnancy, as well as lactating women, should not receive the vaccine at this time, experts have said.

This is also part of the Health Ministry advisory.

On the other hand, India, in just 13 days vaccinated 30 lakh people, which is the fastest in the world, the Union Health Ministry has said.

This puts India ahead of the United States, which took 18 days to reach the 3 million mark. Israel took 33 days, while the UK took 36 days, the health ministry data has revealed.