Health Minister appeals to pregnant women to get vaccinated against COVID-19

Affirming that the COVID-19 vaccine is safe to take during pregnancy, Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, MP, is again encouraging pregnant women to get inoculated and protect themselves and unborn babies against the Coronavirus.

“There are millions and millions of persons who would have received the vaccine during pregnancy and it had no effect on the baby.

So, among the obstetricians globally, the advice is that you should get your vaccines during pregnancy. The earlier you get it you are going to be protected because during pregnancy. Women can become more vulnerable to COVID, and therefore these vaccines can be very, very protective,” Minister Anthony said.

The Health Minister also addressed concerns of breastfeeding mothers who are vaccinated or contemplating vaccination. He said the vaccines can protect babies through breastfeeding.

“For those breastfeeding mothers too, there’s no contrary indications that during breastfeeding if you get the vaccine, it would harm the child. On the contrary, if you get the vaccine, you can produce antibodies, some of which will pass through the breast milk, and would help to protect the baby. So, it is better for you to get the vaccine if you’re breastfeeding,” he disclosed.

Data released by the United States’ Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that none of the COVID-19 vaccines contain the live virus which would make pregnant women or their babies sick.

CDC said too that women with COVID-19 are at an increased risk of pre-term birth or adverse pregnancy outcomes with an increased risk of experiencing severe illness from the Coronavirus. This includes sickness that requires hospitalisation, intensive care, need for ventilators or breathing equipment and even death.

Meanwhile, the ministry has recorded 313 Covid cases, the highest number of cases within 24 hours.

Currently 141 persons are in hospitals across Guyana for COVID-19. Of that number 99 were admitted to the Infectious Diseases Hospital, 31 of whom are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and 17, in the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation’s (GPHC) Obstetrics Unit.

Minister Anthony has again urged citizens to get immunised at any of the 100 vaccination sites across the country.