Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding have not been offered vaccination against Covid-19 in Denmark until now.

The various Covid-19 vaccines were not approved for women in the groups due to a lack of sufficient documentation supporting their recommendation during pregnancy.

The Danish Society for Obstetrics and Gynaecology (Dansk Selskab for Obstetrik og Gynækologi) has previously stated that the advantages of vaccination against Covid-19 clearly outweigh the disadvantages.

A number of politicians have also called for the Health Authority to update its guidelines.

Conservative Party political spokesperson Mette Abildgaard is among those who have supported an opt-in scheme allowing pregnant and breastfeeding women to decide whether to take the vaccine.

Danish Health Authority director Bolette Søborg said earlier this month that a decision was expected in the near future following discussions at the authority.

“There is no doubt that the Danish Health Authority wants as many people as possible over the age of 12 to be vaccinated, and that also applies to women of child-bearing age,” Søborg said on July 9th.

A number of other European countries, including Sweden and the United Kingdom, already vaccinate pregnant women.

According to the Danish Health Authority, international studies have found that pregnant women with Covid-19 more frequently receive hospital treatment. However, it is unclear whether this is due to the virus itself or illness related to their being pregnant.

Another study found that pregnant women who have symptoms due to Covid-19 are more likely to give birth before full term or to require an acute Caesarean section than those without Covid-19.

Based in part on those studies, the Danish Health Authority views pregnant women as being in a risk group for Covid-19.

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