"Pregnant Women Anxious About COVID-19 Vaccine Despite Avoiding Cold Medicine..."

COVID-19 Vaccinations Begin for 16-17-Year-Olds and Pregnant Women from the 18th
"Worried About Harm to the Fetus"...Pregnant Women Growing More Concerned

Pregnant women have recently been concerned about adverse reactions to the COVID-19 vaccine and are contemplating whether to get vaccinated. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. / Source=Getty Images Bank

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] "I'm afraid because I don't know how the vaccine will affect the fetus," "I plan to get vaccinated after giving birth."

As COVID-19 vaccination for pregnant women has begun, their concerns about whether to get vaccinated are deepening. The government points out that pregnant women are at high risk of severe illness if infected with COVID-19 and recommends vaccination participation. However, pregnant women hesitate to get vaccinated, fearing adverse effects not only on themselves but also on the health of the fetus. Experts emphasize that COVID-19 vaccination for pregnant women is being implemented worldwide.

From the 18th, COVID-19 vaccination began for pregnant women and adolescents aged 16-17 (born in 2004-2005). Initially, pregnant women were excluded from vaccination targets because they were classified as a high-risk group for COVID-19 and the safety of vaccination for pregnant women had not been confirmed at the early stage of vaccination.

However, recently, health authorities worldwide have concluded that the benefits outweigh the risks when pregnant women receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Pregnant women infected with COVID-19 have a high risk of progressing to severe illness, and it can also negatively affect the fetus, such as causing preterm birth or low birth weight.

In this regard, countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada recommend vaccination for all pregnant women, and the World Health Organization (WHO) also guides that vaccination can be administered if, after consulting healthcare professionals, the benefits are judged to be high.

South Korea also recommends COVID-19 vaccination for pregnant women. On the 4th, at a regular briefing, Jung Eun-kyung, Commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, stated, "Vaccination is recommended for pregnant women as the necessity and benefits of COVID-19 vaccination are judged to be high."

Pregnant women are concerned about whether to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Photo by Naver Mom Cafe screen capture.

Although the position is that COVID-19 vaccination is safe for pregnant women, many pregnant women continue to express concerns about adverse reactions and choose not to get vaccinated. In particular, there are many responses worried about the impact on the fetus, separate from their own health.

A netizen who identified herself as an early-stage pregnant woman shared on a local mom caf?, "I keep worrying about whether to get vaccinated. I'm concerned because there have been many cases of side effects, and having a fever after vaccination is also a problem," adding, "I was scared when I saw a friend suffer from a high fever after vaccination. If the fever continues, wouldn't it be fatal to the fetus? It would be fortunate if everything passes without any issues, but no one knows what will happen."

There are also many opinions to get vaccinated after giving birth. Another netizen said on a mom caf?, "I'm worried whether I can get vaccinated now. The quarantine authorities keep recommending vaccination, and it seems necessary to get vaccinated for 'With Corona.' But since the vaccine was developed quickly, I'm worried about what effects it might have on the fetus," adding, "I want to get vaccinated after giving birth peacefully."

As a result, not many pregnant women have made vaccination reservations. As of the previous day (17th), only 2,568 pregnant women nationwide had made vaccination appointments. Pregnant women receive either the Pfizer vaccine (3-week interval) or Moderna vaccine (4-week interval) at designated medical institutions nationwide.

A citizen is receiving a vaccine at the vaccination center set up in Sadang Sports Complex, Dongjak-gu, Seoul. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. Photo by Asia Economy DB.

On the other hand, there are opinions that vaccination should be done considering the benefits. A pregnant woman who said she plans to get vaccinated stated, "Whether to get vaccinated is a personal choice, but since pregnant women have a higher chance of severe illness than the general population if infected with COVID-19, I think it's better to muster courage and get vaccinated," adding, "Experts all recommend vaccination. Isn't it better to trust scientific data and experts' opinions rather than baseless claims?"

In fact, there are quite a few cases where pregnant women infected with COVID-19 worsen to critical conditions. In South Korea, from January last year to August this year, among 731 pregnant women infected with COVID-19, 15 (2.05%) were treated in critical condition. This rate is more than six times higher than the critical condition rate (0.34%) of women of childbearing age between 20 and 45 years old.

Meanwhile, in August, a tragic case occurred in the United States where a pregnant woman who had not been vaccinated against COVID-19 contracted the virus and died along with her fetus. This pregnant woman, concerned about the vaccine's effects on the fetus, did not get vaccinated and was diagnosed with COVID-19 at the end of July. Subsequently, although she had no underlying diseases, her symptoms rapidly worsened after infection, leading to ICU admission, and she passed away three weeks later.

Experts emphasize that COVID-19 vaccination is safe for pregnant women. Choi Eun-hwa, Chairperson of the Vaccination Expert Committee and Professor of Pediatrics at Seoul National University Children's Hospital, said on MBC Radio's 'Pyo Chang-won's News High Kick,' "It may be uneasy to get vaccinated while pregnant, but the fact that the government and the world recommend vaccination indicates that safety and efficacy have been recognized."