In 2019, the world changed, and the surrogacy industry changed too. As covid and the creation of the covid vaccine became highly debated, Love & Kindness, as well as other Agencies, had to create new protocols for the safety of our clients.
With the creation of the covid vaccine, came more questions for those of us in the field of surrogacy. In this blog, we will discuss how vaccination status determines your ability to become a Surrogate. This blog is one in a series of blogs – Can I Be a Surrogate If… – where we discuss common situations that can affect a woman’s ability to become a Surrogate.
Covid & Pregnancy
Pregnant women are more likely to have severe symptoms of COVID-19 compared to those who are not pregnant. People who get sick from COVID-19 may require hospitalization, admission to an intensive care unit (ICU), or use of a ventilator or special equipment to breathe. Severe COVID-19 illness can also lead to death.
Additionally, if you have COVID-19 during pregnancy, you are at increased risk of complications that can affect your pregnancy and developing baby. For example, COVID-19 during pregnancy increases the risk of delivering a preterm or stillborn infant.
Does The Vaccine Work?
This is a question the world has been debating since the beginning of Covid and the creation of the vaccine. What we do know is the vaccine works in limiting the spread of Covid and lessening the severity of the symptoms.
Although vaccines have been around for centuries, the Covid vaccine is still new. When looking for information regarding the success rates of a vaccine, you will find very mixed opinions. Some surrogates believe that the unknown long-term effects of the covid vaccine are a bigger risk than contracting covid.
In a surrogacy journey, you will find that all parties involved are doing their best to minimize risks for intended parents, the gestational carrier and the baby. Although studies show that not being vaccinated for Covid can increase the risk of contracting the virus and the severity of symptoms, there is not enough data to determine that unvaccinated gestational carriers are unfit for a surrogacy journey.
So What Does This Mean For You?
At Love & Kindness, we will work with you to find you the right fit with your potential Intended Parents. While you are looking for an answer to this question, there are also Intended Parents looking for the same answer as well – Can I find a Surrogate that is willing to remain unvaccinated?
After applying to become a surrogate with Love & Kindness, we will discuss your preferences with you regarding vaccinations. We will take this into account when looking for the perfect Intended Parents for you.