AMN / NEW DELHI
Pregnant women can now take the Covid vaccine. The Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry today gave its nod for the vaccination of pregnant women. The decision was taken by the Health Ministry on the recommendations from National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization, NTAGI.
For getting vaccinated, pregnant women can register on CoWIN or directly go to the nearest COVID Vaccination Centre. The Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry has prepared an operational guideline for vaccination of pregnant women, counselling kit for Medical Officers and front line workers. The procedures and modalities of COVID-19 vaccination will remain the same as it is for any beneficiaries above 18 years of age.
Chairperson of the COVID-19 Working Group of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization, Dr. N.K. Arora has said that both pregnant women and children can be saved by Covid vaccine. He said, pregnant women can take the vaccine at any time.
Terming the vaccines safe, Mr. Arora said that it does not seem that the vaccine will have any ill-effects on the child growing up in the mother’s womb. He said, if the mother develops immunity, it will be passed on to the foetus. He said, the effect of the vaccine and immunity developed in the mother’s body will remain in the child at least till the time of birth.
Mr. Arora said, the increased mortality of pregnant women during the second wave of COVID-19 has led to this decision. He said, during the second wave, it was seen that mortality rates of pregnant women infected by COVID-19 had increased by two to three times, in comparison to the first wave.