The German Vaccination Commission (Stiko) has decided: pregnant and breastfeeding women should also be vaccinated against coronavirus. German Health Minister Spahn supports this solution.
Spahn supports Stiko’s recommendation
Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) welcomed Stiko’s recommendation that pregnant and breastfeeding women should also be vaccinated. “After many months with many unanswered questions, this finally means scientifically based certainty. My urgent request to all pregnant and breastfeeding women is this: Ask your doctor. Get vaccinated. You will protect yourself and your baby.”
The Standing Committee on Immunization currently recommends coronavirus vaccination for pregnant and breastfeeding women. According to the draft Stiko decision, previously unvaccinated pregnant women from the second trimester of pregnancy and breastfeeding women should protect themselves with two doses of the mRNA vaccine, the Robert Koch Institute reported in Berlin on Friday. Until now, Stiko has not recommended universal vaccination during pregnancy.
Until now, vaccination was only recommended in exceptional cases
Until now, vaccination in Germany has only been recommended for pregnant women with pre-existing medical conditions and a high risk of severe coronavirus infection, following a risk-benefit assessment and detailed information. According to the Robert Koch Institute, the current recommendation for pregnant women is now “based on a systematic review” of data available in recent weeks on the risk of severe illness in pregnancy and the efficacy and safety of vaccination in pregnant and breastfeeding women.
There was also little data on vaccination during breastfeeding. However, Stiko concluded that it was highly unlikely that vaccination during breastfeeding would pose a risk to the infant. The new draft decision has now been subjected to a mandatory comment procedure by the federal states and the expert groups involved. Stiko’s final recommendation will be published after the completion of the comment procedure and re-consultation.
source: www.t-online.de