Centre allows COVID-19 vaccination for pregnant women, Health Ministry issues guidelines
The Union Ministry has advised all pregnant women to register themselves on the Co-WIN portal or get themselves registered on-site at the Covid-19 vaccination centre.
FollowThe Union health ministry has issued fresh guidelines for administering the Covid-19 vaccine to pregnant women and said that pregnancy does not increase the risk of infection.
"Most pregnant women will be asymptomatic or have a mild disease, but their health may deteriorate rapidly and that might affect the foetus too. It is important that they take all precautions to protect themselves from acquiring Covid-19, including taking vaccination against Covid-19. It is therefore advised that a pregnant woman should take Covid-19 vaccines," the health ministry said in a statement on Monday.
There are 28 other countries that “permit” Covid vaccines in pregnancy, but without overt encouragement. Another 46 countries either permit with restrictions, or deny with exceptions, data from COMIT (Covid-19 Maternal Immunization Tracker), developed by the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics and the Johns Hopkins Center for Immunization Research, shows.
Guidelines for administering Covid-19 vaccines to pregnant women:
· Covid-19 vaccines are safe for pregnant women and protect them against the disease like other individuals.
· After being administered the vaccine, she can get a mild fever, pain at the injection site or feel unwell for one to three days.
· Pregnant women with underlying medical conditions e.g, high blood pressure, obesity, age over 35 years are at a higher risk of severe illness due to Covid-19.
· Most (over 95%) newborns of Covid-19 positive mothers have been in good condition at birth. In some cases, Covid-19 infections in pregnancy may increase the possibility of a premature delivery, the baby's weight might be less than 2.5 kg and in rare situations, the baby might die before birth.
· In case a woman has been infected with Covid-19 during the current pregnancy, then she should be vaccinated soon after the delivery.
· Very rarely (one in 1-1.5 lakh persons) pregnant women might experience the following symptoms within 20 days of getting vaccinated which may require immediate attention: Shortness of breath, chest pain, persistent abdominal pain with or without vomiting, pain or swelling in the limbs, small pinpoint haemorrhages, weakness or paralysis of limbs, seizures with or without vomiting, severe and persistent headaches with or without vomiting and persistent vomiting without any reason.
The ministry said that Covid-19 vaccines available are safe and vaccination protects pregnant women against Covid-19 illness or disease.
The Union health ministry advised all pregnant women to register themselves on the Co-WIN portal or get themselves registered on-site at the Covid-19 vaccination centre.
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