St George Hospital doctor first to be fully vaccinated during pregnancy

Becoming a mum for the first time is pretty special, but Dr Amy Manos and her baby are also one of the first to be vaccinated against Covid-19 in NSW.

Dr Amy Manos will become a mum for the first time this year — and is now also one of the first pregnant women in the state to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

The St George Hospital-based registrar became pregnant with her first child in December last year, just before the Covid-19 vaccines became available.

“At that time and for most of my pregnancy the advice regarding vaccination for Covid was to not get vaccinated during pregnancy, so my plan was to get vaccinated post-giving birth,” Dr Manos said.

“As a health care worker I was in 1B but could not get vaccinated based on that official advice.”

Dr Amy Manos is one of the first pregnant women in NSW to be fully vaccinated for Covid-19.

But on June 9, the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) and the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) recommended pregnant women could safely get the Pfizer vaccine at any stage of pregnancy.

“This is because the risk of severe outcomes from Covid-19 is significantly higher for pregnant women and their unborn baby,” RANZCOG said.

“They also found the vaccination was likely to provide some antibodies to the baby, passing through while still in the womb and in my breastmilk so I was keen to get that vaccination done,” Dr Manos said.

The day after, Dr Manos became one of the first in NSW to get her first dose at the St George Hospital Vaccination Hub.

Dr Amy Manos is proud to spread the message on the benefits of vaccination.

“I was 26 weeks pregnant and fully vaccinated by 29 weeks,” the 31-year-old said.

“I was aware that pregnant women are immune-suppressed and at higher risk of complications of Covid and shown to be associated with premature labour in Covid-infected mothers so I wanted to do everything to protect myself and my baby, based on expert advice.

“I think it’s incredibly important for anyone in our community to get vaccinated when they are able to, particularly for pregnant women, because we do know we can be at a higher risk of complications if we get Covid.

“I want to be part of the message to push the benefits of vaccination in terms of keeping ourselves safe, keeping babies safe and keeping the community safe.”

Global surveillance from large numbers of pregnant women has not identified any significant safety concerns with mRNA vaccines in pregnancy.

Dr Manos is expecting a baby girl in September.

“As a healthcare worker, I’m really proud to lead by example, and hope that other women in any stage of pregnancy take up the opportunity to get vaccinated,” she said.

ATAGI and RANZCOG recommend that pregnant women discuss the decision in relation to timing of vaccination with their health professional.