Even two years into the pandemic, a lot of false information about the Covid-19 vaccines and pregnancy is still making the rounds.

However, the experts are clear: vaccination is especially important during pregnancy and can be administered safely even while breastfeeding.

During one of the National Health Directorate's regular Q&A Facebook livestreams on Thursday, virologist Dr Thomas Dentzer and the president of the Society of Gynaecologists in Luxembourg, Dr Pit Duschinger, answered questions submitted by viewers.

By now, the scientific community has collected so much data from around the world that it is theoretically possible to administer the vaccine even at the beginning of a pregnancy, the experts explained.

Official guidelines are expected to be adapted accordingly over the next few weeks to allow for vaccination within the first 12 weeks of a pregnancy, Dr Duschinger stated.

The gynaecologist added that it is also impossible to become impotent as a result of vaccination. This particular piece of false information was shared particularly often in the early days of the vaccination campaign and is still circulating on social media.

Medical exemptions for vaccination are "rare" and "not any different for pregnant people compared to the rest of the population". In principle, people carrying out a high-risk pregnancy are strongly advised to get their jabs. For instance, this applies to people who are overweight, suffering from diabetes, or older than 35.

Vaccination can also protect newborns from the coronavirus by raising their antibody levels, the health experts explained, adding that studies have detected no side effects on babies while they are in the womb.

Choosing not to receive a jab runs its own risks. Over the past months, there have been cases in Luxembourg of babies born ten to twelve weeks prior to the expected date of birth after the mother experienced a severe course of Covid-19, forcing doctors to intervene early.

The health experts pointed out that in general, Covid-19 infections have led to more difficult births and there have even been cases where both the child and their parent died as a result.