Health and pregnancy pass: how to organize?

It’s official, the health pass was extended on July 21 to all places of leisure and culture bringing together more than 50 people, but also from the beginning of August to cafes, restaurants, shopping centers, retirement homes, medical establishments. social services, as well as to travel by plane, train and coach for long-distance journeys as well as for access to hospitals.

Health pass: a puzzle for pregnant women

In a context where health authorities recommend that pregnant women be vaccinated from the second trimester of pregnancy, many women will therefore not be able to obtain the famous sesame before August 1. It would seem that they are the big forgotten ones of this decision, since some must have easy access to health establishments to undergo check-ups (gynecological, obstetric and ultrasound) besides that the follow-up of the pregnancies at risk must be more rigorous with more frequent examinations.

Health and pregnancy pass: announcements in progress?

For now, the government has not yet commented on the issue of access to hospitals for pregnant women, although the Ministry of Health has assured Elle magazine.¹ that points of this measure would need to be refined: “After the big announcements comes the time for flexibility and special cases. We are currently working on the issue.“It is therefore very likely that pregnant women can be exempt from the obligation to present a health pass, but in the absence of an official declaration, they are for the moment required to respect the protocol.

For the moment, women will therefore need to have a health pass that includes either:

• A certificate of a complete vaccination schedule 2 weeks after the 2nd injection for double injection vaccines (Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca)
• Proof of a negative RT-PCR and antigen test of less than 48 hours
• The result of a positive RT-PCR or antigen test attesting to recovery from Covid-19, dating at least 11 days and less than 6 months.

Pregnant women who still have doubts about the vaccine

Many women fear being vaccinated, yet the health authorities want to be reassuring: if they believe that we do not have enough perspective to issue an opinion on vaccination during the first trimester of pregnancy, the Haute Autorité de Santé indicates, for example, that vaccination “should be considered if the potential benefits outweigh the risks to the mother and fetus. In particular, pregnant women over 35 years of age or those with other co-morbidities such asobesity, the diabetes or cardiovascular diseases, or pregnant women likely to be in contact with infected people due to their professional activity could be offered vaccination” ². In addition, a large study published in the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA)³ involving two groups of 7,530 pregnant women is reassuring, because it concludes that vaccination against Covid reduces the risk of infection without increasing significant side effects.