There is no evidence that Covid vaccines are safe for foetuses. What is the view of neonatologists, paediatricians and paediatric nurses?
Do not pregnant women and foetuses differ greatly in their physiology and neurology?
Editorial opinion:
Interconnections commissioned the cartoon for this issue to help highlight the fact that there is no evidence to offer to pregnant women that a Covid vaccine will not damage their unborn baby. The New European newspaper on 17th April used about 200 words to tell us ‘Pregnant women in the UK told they can receive Covid vaccine’ (not online as far as I can see) but failed to mention concern about their unborn babies. The Guardian newspaper on 16th April wrote a similar article with assurances a Covid vaccine is safe for pregnant women but again reported no information about the effects on foetuses.
Can we discuss the health and wellbeing of pregnant women without paying some attention to the babies they are carrying?
The BMJ tells us ‘Evidence based medicine is the conscientious, explicit, and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients.’
But what about when there is no evidence – when no Covid-vaccinated foetuses have yet grown into babies, children and teenagers? Are we being asked to make some giant assumption that, if a Covid vaccine does not cause observable ill-effects in pregnant women, it is also safe for the unborn baby? Do not pregnant women and foetuses differ greatly in their physiology and neurology?
I wonder what neonatologists, paediatricians and paediatric nurses think about this assumption. Please ask the ones you are in contact with.
Peter Limbrick
April 2021
