As COVID-19 vaccination gets underway in Singapore, we take a look at the Ministry of Health (MOH) advisory around women who are pregnant, looking to conceive and breastfeeding.Â
*Information here is taken from MOH's website on 25/01/2021 and summarised specifically for a target audience.Â
As Singapore moves forward with the COVID-19 Vaccination programme, we took a look at the advisory provided by the Ministry of Health (MOH) around vaccination for mothers who are breastfeeding, pregnant women and those looking to conceive.Â
Who Are Not Encouraged To Be Vaccinated
COVID-19 vacines are not recommended for following groups of people until more efficacy and safety data becomes available.Â
- Children under the age of 16 years old
- People with immunodeficiency conditions
- Pregnant women
- People with a history of severe allergic reactions
For Those Looking To Conceive
Women who are planning a pregnancy are advised to defer conception for 1 month after completing the 2-dose vaccine series. This is because there is not enough evidence to advise on the use of COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy (thus pregnant women are not advise to be vaccinated too).Â
It is recommended that we wait for more data to be available or to receive the vaccination after delivery.Â
And if you do become pregnant after the first dose, it is advised that you should not receive the second dose.Â
How About Breastfeeding?Â
For lactating women, it is recommended that you abstain from breastfeeding for 5 to 7 days post-vaccination.Â
If you wish to find out more information about the Vaccination Programme, you may visit MOH's website. It might be useful to bookmark the page as new information will be updated too.Â