|
 The health authority said in a statement that it was advising women
to receive two mRNA-based shots in the second and third trimesters
of pregnancy.
It said its decision was due to growing evidence on the safety of
vaccines during pregnancies for both the foetus and the mother.
"Women wishing to be vaccinated in the first trimester of pregnancy
should assess the risks and benefits with a doctor," ISS said,
citing evidence that fever, which is one of the possible reactions
to the vaccine, can cause an increased risk of congenital
malformations.
Women who are breastfeeding can safely get vaccinated, ISS said,
adding that infants can safely absorb antibodies via milk.
Numerous countries have this year recommended that pregnant women
have COVID-19 vaccinations after finding them to be safe.
The European Medicines Agency said in July that data did not suggest
any safety concerns, and in August the U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention recommended that pregnant women should be
vaccinated.
[to top of second column] |
 Italy is administering two
vaccines based on messenger RNA (mRNA)
technology - one made by BioNTech in partnership
with Pfizer, and a second from Moderna.
Italy has the second-highest COVID-19 death toll
in Europe after Britain, with more than 130,200
people dying of the disease since the pandemic
began in early 2020.
Some 75% of its 60-million-strong population
have had at least one COVID-19 shot and 70.3%
are fully vaccinated, according to the latest
figures on Friday, broadly in line with most
other EU countries.
(Reporting by Emilio Parodi, editing by Crispian
Balmer, Robert Birsel)
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