Prince Harry and Meghan Markle not allowed to get pregnant yet

They are newlyweds and, according to public opinions, the next step for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle is to have a baby. But even if they wanted to do that, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would have to wait for more than half a year before they can even try for a baby.

Earlier this week, the Kensington Palace announced the couple’s Australian and New Zealand tour starting October. Their first official international trip as a couple will also include a visit to Fiji and the Kingdom of Tonga.

And because they are visiting the latter two Polynesian nations, their baby plans, if they have any, would have to wait.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Fiji and Tonga are included in the list of countries that have been reported to have cases of the Zika virus disease. Zika is an infectious disease, spread mostly by the bite of an infected mosquito, and which can be passed from mother to child during pregnancy. A baby infected can develop microcephaly and other brain malfunctions.

The CDC says that women who have been tested positive for the virus should wait at least eight weeks after their symptoms first appeared before trying to get pregnant. Men who had symptoms should wait six months before engaging in unprotected sex. For women who travelled to a country that is known to have cases of Zika, they should wait eight weeks before having unprotected intercourse, and at least six months since the symptoms.

This means that Meghan should wait at least six months before she tries for a baby with Harry. And this also means that the world may have to wait until January 2020 at the earliest for a Harry-Meghan baby.

Pregnant women are strongly advised not to travel to any areas with known cases of Zika. And with Meghan going to the said countries, it could be an indication that the Duchess isn’t pregnant, at least not yet.

Their Australian and New Zealand tour will begin on Oct. 16 in Sydney and end on Oct. 31 in Rotorua, NZ.