Chaos and confusion in Hungary around the vaccination of pregnant or breastfeeding people

Although it was announced last week that the vaccination of pregnant people will commence, general confusion surrounds the effect of vaccination on pregnancy and breastfeeding due to the government’s contradictory statements.

The National Public Health Centre authorised the vaccination of pregnant people on 26 March, according to nlc. Receiving the first jab as soon as possible is essential for those who are pregnant since they are more prone to severe disease and to develop complications due to COVID-19. Not only does the vaccine protect the future parent, but it may also be responsible for the children’s immunity since they, too, receive the antibodies. The injection of the first dose must be done after week 12 of the pregnancy, followed by the second shot after giving birth. Registration happens the usual way through vakicinainfo.gov.hu, and their GPs should also be notified beforehand. Semmelweis University established additional vaccination points to accelerate the process.

Visiting koronavirus.gov.hu, the official coronavirus website operated by the government, one can come across conflicting information on the safety level of inoculation for pregnant people, as Telex observed.

“Vaccination is currently not recommended for children and pregnant women,”

reads the relevant document. In an interview on 26 March, PM Viktor Orbán announced that he has consulted medical experts, and

Pfizer and Moderna are perfectly safe for pregnant women.

These types of vaccines utilise mRNA and hence they do not contain the live virus. It is possible that the government website has not been updated to display the new findings yet.

The case of breastfeeding is not resolved either. While no information has been communicated by the official forums concerning the impact of vaccination on nursing, many have already received the first shot at Semmelweis University. Some were told by their GPs that they are not considered a priority and could only get the shot when they normally would on the basis of their age. GPs claim that they have not been officially informed on the matter to date. The National Directorate General for Hospitals had issued a certificate that could guarantee that precedence is given to people who breastfeed when it comes to vaccination; however, the document shortly disappeared.

Read alsoPM Orbán: Vaccination only way to stop virus, gradual reopening around the corner

Source: nlc; Telex