As far as I can tell, this is just a report, and does not (yet) represent an actual change in policy-- though I'd love to hear from actual UK residents on that, in case you're hearing different. But you might recall that UKHSA has been really gung-ho up til now about the shots being extremely safe and effective and recommended for everybody, including women who are pregnant or nursing. To find the relevant bit in that wall of obfuscation and Somnoleseian text, ctrl+F for "pregnant". It says:
"The absence of reproductive toxicity data is a reflection of the speed of development to first identify and select COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine BNT162b2 for clinical testing and its rapid development to meet the ongoing urgent health need. In principle, a decision on licensing a vaccine could be taken in these circumstances without data from reproductive toxicity studies animals, but there are studies ongoing and these will be provided when available. In the context of supply under Regulation 174, it is considered that sufficient reassurance of safe use of the vaccine in pregnant women cannot be provided at the present time: however, use in women of childbearing potential could be supported provided healthcare professionals are advised to rule out known or suspected pregnancy prior to vaccination. Women who are breastfeeding should also not be vaccinated. These judgements reflect the absence of data at the present time and do not reflect a specific finding of concern. Adequate advice with regard to women of childbearing potential, pregnant women and breastfeeding women has been provided in both the Information for UK Healthcare Professionals and the Information for UK recipients."
---TL:DR: We don't have enough info to say that this is safe for pregnant or breastfeeding women, so we recommend against it for those women.
What changed?
On the surface, nothing's changed. If they don't have that data now, they certainly didn't have it back when they were merrily shooting up pregnant ladies.
But this is the UK we're talking about. Their national health system keeps *meticulous* data, and the shots have been going for a year or more, in the childbearing-age population.
So if anything, they have vastly *more* data on this now, than they had last year, when it was all go go go, safeandeffective, you're a bad person if you don't do it.
Clearly, something has changed. They're just not saying what.
UK changing tune for pregnant/nursing mums?
As far as I can tell, this is just a report, and does not (yet) represent an actual change in policy-- though I'd love to hear from actual UK residents on that, in case you're hearing different. But you might recall that UKHSA has been really gung-ho up til now about the shots being extremely safe and effective and recommended for everybody, including women who are pregnant or nursing. To find the relevant bit in that wall of obfuscation and Somnoleseian text, ctrl+F for "pregnant". It says:
"The absence of reproductive toxicity data is a reflection of the speed of development to first identify and select COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine BNT162b2 for clinical testing and its rapid development to meet the ongoing urgent health need. In principle, a decision on licensing a vaccine could be taken in these circumstances without data from reproductive toxicity studies animals, but there are studies ongoing and these will be provided when available. In the context of supply under Regulation 174, it is considered that sufficient reassurance of safe use of the vaccine in pregnant women cannot be provided at the present time: however, use in women of childbearing potential could be supported provided healthcare professionals are advised to rule out known or suspected pregnancy prior to vaccination. Women who are breastfeeding should also not be vaccinated. These judgements reflect the absence of data at the present time and do not reflect a specific finding of concern. Adequate advice with regard to women of childbearing potential, pregnant women and breastfeeding women has been provided in both the Information for UK Healthcare Professionals and the Information for UK recipients."
---TL:DR: We don't have enough info to say that this is safe for pregnant or breastfeeding women, so we recommend against it for those women.
What changed?
On the surface, nothing's changed. If they don't have that data now, they certainly didn't have it back when they were merrily shooting up pregnant ladies.
But this is the UK we're talking about. Their national health system keeps *meticulous* data, and the shots have been going for a year or more, in the childbearing-age population.
So if anything, they have vastly *more* data on this now, than they had last year, when it was all go go go, safeandeffective, you're a bad person if you don't do it.
Clearly, something has changed. They're just not saying what.