As the COVID-19 vaccine begins to make its way across the globe and the travel industry gears up for an influx of travellers in 2021, some parents are caught between the decision to vaccinate or add to their growing family. Australian Stefanie Petrides’ family lives overseas, and due to the pandemic, she hasn’t seen them in over a year. The family often agrees on a destination every few years and gathers to see each other. That reunion should have happened in 2020 but didn’t.
Meanwhile, the mother of one three-year-old is contemplating trying for her second child and she knows her choice is likely, one or the other. Does she forgo the vaccine and move forward with plans to expand the family, or get the vaccine, delay family plans and travel to see other loved ones? That's her conundrum.
Petrides recently spoke to Mamamia’s daily news podcast The Quicky about her dilemma. “My family is spread across Greece, the United Arab Emirates and London, and we all try to meet in Greece every few years, so it’s been quite a while,” Petrides said.“I’m really torn to be honest with you. If something were to happen to my parents, I would never forgive myself for not going back. I’m just thinking ‘please get me on a plane so I can go home and see everyone, I miss them so much,” Petrides added.
According to Healthline, the airline industry is fast at work creating a special COVID-19 vaccine passport for travellers, requiring proof of vaccination before boarding a plane. So far, Qantas CEO Alan Joyce is the only airline that has spoken up about requiring passengers to prove they have been vaccinated, but it’s expected others will follow.
On the other hand, waiting to have another child can also have disadvantages. Petrides is concerned about the length of time it could take her to conceive or having other pregnancy-related issues.
The World Health Organization recently warned despite worldwide vaccination, immunity is unlikely in 2021. The mask requirements and social distancing is expected to remain in place, even for those vaccinated for the near future. Unfortunately, trials done with the COVID-19 vaccine did not include pregnant or breastfeeding women, therefore, there is little information on the safety of expectant mothers getting the shot.
No guidelines have been issued for pregnant or breastfeeding mothers in regard to getting the vaccine and experts say the best way to know for sure is further clinical trials, but those won’t come quickly.
Dr. Sanjaya Senananyake is an infectious disease expert at Australian National University. He told The Quicky that normally, researchers typically do normal trials excluding pregnant women and when the non-pregnant population shows good results, they feel confident to enroll pregnant women for a second trial phase. “COVID has changed the speed in which we’re doing things… So, we’ve come to a stage where the vaccines are already being rolled out and we don’t have an answer about whether pregnant women should have the vaccines or not,” Senananyake said.
Experts say it’s likely expecting mothers could take the vaccine safely, but until more tests are done, they aren’t recommended. As for travel, airlines want to ensure they are providing safe flights and protecting staff and customers against undue risk.
All of the safety and caution applied to 2021 decisions are helpful for the average person but leaves expecting couples, like Petrides in a difficult bind.
Sources: Mamamia, Healthline, WHO,