Germany recommends COVID-19 vaccination for pregnant women

BERLIN, Sept. 10 (Reuters) – The German vaccine watchdog on Friday recommended that pregnant and breastfeeding women be vaccinated against COVID-19 with an mRNA-based vaccine.

The Standing Committee on Immunization (STIKO) advises women to receive two injections from the second trimester of pregnancy, according to guidelines published on the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) website for infectious diseases.

“In addition, STIKO expressly recommends vaccination against COVID-19 for people of childbearing age who have not yet or have not been fully vaccinated, in order to ensure very good protection against this disease before pregnancy,” adds the guide.

Many countries have recommended pregnant women get the COVID-19 vaccine this year after they found it to be safe.

The European Medicines Agency said in July that the data seen so far did not suggest any safety concerns, and in August, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that pregnant women be vaccinated. Read more

Germany administers two vaccines based on messenger RNA (mRNA) technology – one made by local startup BioNTech (22UAy.DE) in partnership with Pfizer (PFE.N), and a second from Moderna (MRNA .O).

“Even pregnant and breastfeeding women now have a clear recommendation for vaccination,” said Health Minister Jens Spahn.

“My urgent request to all pregnant and breastfeeding women: ask your doctor. Get vaccinated. You protect yourself and your child.”

Germany’s vaccination campaign lags behind efforts in France, Spain and Portugal, leading RKI chief Lothar Wieler to warn this week of a “massive fourth wave” “of infections this fall if its pace is not accelerated. Read more

Germany has fully vaccinated 73% of adults, compared to 71% in the European Union as a whole, according to official figures.

Reporting by Douglas Busvine; Editing by Kevin Liffey

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