The rumor was unfounded and that’s good. A Norwegian study published in an English journal shows that none of the vaccines to fight against the coronavirus used in this country (Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca) have no impact on the risk of miscarriage.
For a long time, the vaccination of pregnant women was not taken for granted. HAS only recommended it “if the potential benefits outweigh the potential risks to the mother and fetus.” Only women with comorbidities such as obesity or diabetes could be eligible for certain vaccines. But in the face of the global coronavirus pandemic, pregnant women are part of the category of so-called fragile people. It is known that pregnant women undergo immunological and physiological changes that can make them more sensitive and at greater risk of complications from respiratory viral infections. For these reasons, they are advised to be vaccinated.
However, there were rumors about the potential effects the vaccine could have on miscarriages. A Norwegian study has cast doubt on a recent study published on October 20, 2021 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
“The risk of miscarriage is similar or even lower”
The team of researchers sought to provide scientific answers to the rumors. The authors of the study began by comparing all pregnant women in Norway between February 15 and August 15, 2021, whether or not they had miscarried. A total of 13,956 women continued their pregnancies normally, compared to 4,521 women who had a miscarriage. The proportion of vaccinated women having miscarried within five weeks after vaccination (231 out of 1003 vaccinated pregnant women) was 23%, compared to 24.5% for unvaccinated women (4,290 out of 17,474 unvaccinated pregnant women). The researchers then found that vaccination did not increase the risk of miscarriage, but on the contrary seemed to reduce it.
Regardless of the vaccine, getting the vaccine during pregnancy does not pose a risk of further miscarriage.
The researchers did additional analyzes by studying the impact of each vaccine individually, and again there was no risk of miscarriage with neither Pfizer nor Moderna or AstraZeneca. The result is similar if one studies women who received a single dose or two.
“It is important that pregnant women are vaccinated, as they are more likely to be hospitalized and suffer from complications from Covid-19, not to mention that their babies are at increased risk of being born too early. In addition, vaccination during pregnancy is likely to protect the newborn against Covid-19 in the first months after birth.”Says Deshayne Fell, Associate Professor in the School of Epidemiology and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa.