Having the Covid jab during first-trimester of pregnancy shown to be safe for the baby

Getting the Covid vaccine in the first trimester of pregnancy does not cause birth defects, a new study has confirmed.

French scientists who studied babies born to more than 130,000 vaccinated mothers found that mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines did not cause birth defects.

They found that the prevalence of birth defects in babies born to vaccinated mothers was actually marginally lower than in those who were not vaccinated.

The study focused on mRNA-based vaccines, including those made by both pharmaceutical giants Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.

Their analysis showed that vaccinated mothers had a rate of 176.6 birth defects per 10,000 mothers, compared to 179.4 per 10,000 mothers in unvaccinated mothers.

The findings by researchers at EPI-PHARE, a scientific group that studies the safety and risks of medicines. It was published today at Jama Network Open.

They wrote in the journal: ‘Our study confirms the fetal safety of mRNA Covid vaccines during pregnancy, shows no increased risk of MCM and reassures the millions of women worldwide who receive these vaccines early in pregnancy.’

MCMs refer to major congenital malformations, which are defects that develop during pregnancy and affect the baby’s health, such as heart defects.

‘Policy makers and health practitioners should update vaccination guidelines to ensure pregnant women are adequately informed about the safety of vaccines.

‘These findings also provide valuable information on the fetal safety of mRNA-based vaccines and may inform future evaluations of the use of these vaccines in pregnant women.’

However, the authors noted the study’s limitations, as it only included live births and did not include stillbirths, which may include birth defects.

Health chiefs have previously said the Covid vaccine has no effect on pregnancy, despite misinformation being spread on platforms such as X, formerly known as Twitter.

MP Richard Tice, former leader of the Reform Party, posted a tweet in 2020 that was widely shared and later deleted.

In it she wrote: ‘Forcing young girls who just want to dance to get vaccinated is almost certain to mean increased stillbirths, miscarriages, disabled children and infertility.’

The NHS says the Covid vaccine is safe and is urging pregnant women to get vaccinated to protect themselves and their babies.

On safety, the UK Government said: ‘These vaccines do not contain live vaccines and will not be transmitted to a pregnant woman or her unborn baby in the womb.’

It comes amid a worrying rise in Covid cases in the UK, with cases of the latest Stratus and Nimbus strains doubling since August.

Professor Lawrence Young, a virologist at the University of Warwick, told the Daily Mail that the increase in cases and hospitalizations was ‘worrying so early in the autumn period’.

He attributed this to factors such as children returning to school, cold weather causing people to spend more time indoors (often in places with inadequate ventilation), and weakening protective immunity.

Experts say the new variants, one of which causes a distinctive ‘razor-blade’ sore throat, do not pose a greater threat than previous strains of Covid or make people feel sicker.

But genetic changes in the virus mean infections may be more likely.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said positivity rose from 7.6 per cent to 8.4 per cent in just one week, while admissions rose from 2.0 to 2.73 per 100,000 people.

The health agency recommends that anyone with symptoms stay home if possible and avoid contact with vulnerable people.

Experts have urged Britons to wear masks in crowded places and isolate themselves if they test positive for the virus.

Covid tests are no longer free on the NHS but can still be purchased from pharmacies.