MOSCOW, June 27. /TASS/. Pregnant women can get vaccinated with the Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine only when the benefits for the mother outweigh the risks for the fetus, the vaccine’s updated instructions inform.

"There is no experience of clinical use of Gam-COVID-Vac [Sputnik V] during pregnancy. During the research of reproductive toxicity on animals, no negative effect on the course of pregnancy and embryofetal development in female species and on prenatal development of their offspring was found. In this regard, Gam-COVID-Vac should be used during pregnancy only when the expected benefits for the mother outweigh the potential risks for the fetus," the document says.

The instructions also informed that Sputnik V cannot be used during breastfeeding.

On Friday, Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko informed that taking into account the positive results of the pre-clinical safety trials of the vaccine and the accumulated data on its safety and efficiency during the post-registration trials, experts have decided to allow the use of Sputnik V among pregnant women. The minister explained that this allows pregnant women who have a high risk of developing severe symptoms of the disease to get vaccinated.