KUALA LUMPUR:Pregnant women do not need to worry about taking the COVID-19 vaccine, either against themselves or their unborn baby.

This is because pregnant women infected with COVID-19 will experience more severe symptoms without antibody protection.

Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM), Professor Dr Muhammad Shamsir Mohd Aris said if a pregnant woman does not have any allergies, it is not a problem for them to take the COVID-19 vaccine.

"If they (pregnant women) who are over 35 years old, have obesity or body mass index (BMI) above 28, high blood pressure and diabetes are infected with COVID-19, the effect is worse.

"They are advised to talk to the experts they are always consulting whether they should or should not take the COVID-10 vaccine.

"If you look at the risk, they are a high-risk group, so the World Health Organisation (WHO) advises if there are no allergies, they are encouraged to take the vaccine," he said when contacted by Astro AWANI on Sunday.

The obstetrician and gynaecologist added that there is no obstacle for individuals who are planning to become pregnant to take the vaccine.

"Let's say they have taken the vaccine and they are pregnant in the near future, in fact, there is no problem.

"It also means, those who want to get pregnant, there is actually no obstacle for them to take the vaccine and in turn can do fertility treatment.

"This is because the COVID-19 vaccine, based on the available data, does not show any effect on the unborn baby and there is no effect that causes defects to the fetus due to this vaccine," he said.

However, he acknowledged that detailed studies on vaccine types and their effects on the baby are still minimal.

He explained that the antibody protection to pregnant women and their unborn baby is very important, especially when entering the last trimester.

"From my reading and I believe many experts also agree, God willing, if this vaccine is used either before or during pregnancy, including at the beginning of pregnancy, God willing it will not cause any problems to the fetus or to the womb .

"What is good is that it has been found that these vaccines can reduce the effects if they get this virus infection," he said.

At the same time, he advised pregnant women to consult with specialists as well as follow the current instructions from the Ministry of Health regarding vaccination.