Based on the information provided a pregnant woman may be offered the available COVID-19 vaccine at the nearest centre and the vaccine can be given anytime during the pregnancy,adding that all lactating women are eligible to receive Covid-19 vaccines any time after delivery.
What doctors say
Earlier this month, BBC reported that hundreds of pregnant women have reportedly died of the virus in India but there is no official data. The situation is likely far worse in rural areas, where poor surveillance, delayed testing and spotty access to critical care has led to a high death toll from the virus.
On the question, if vaccination could have saved them, Dr Meenakshi Ahuja, Director of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in Delhi’s Fortis La Femme Hospital, told BBC, “In my opinion, the vaccines were developed quickly for the right reasons – but it usually takes 10 years before most vaccines are declared safe for pregnant women. The government is trying to play safe. But there is no decision yet and millions of pregnant women are very vulnerable. We hope to get a positive response from the government soon.”
India’s federation of gynaecologists too has recommended that pregnant women be allowed to consult with their doctors and decide.
“Immunity is generally compromised during pregnancy but Covid positive pregnant women are especially vulnerable in the third trimester. The growing uterus pushes against the diaphragm, compressing the lungs and making it harder to breathe in a normal amount of air. So the first thing we try to do is to deliver the baby even if it’s premature. That is one reason why we have seen a rise in neonatal deaths,” Dr Ahuja was quoted as saying.
Ruma Satwik, an obstetrician at Delhi’s Sir Ganga Ram Hospital told BBC that she is still unsure of recommending the vaccine to her patients in the absence of any clear data or studies. She pointed to the fact that Covishield and Covaxin, the two jabs that India is currently administering, have not been tested on pregnant women.
Last month, Brazil suspended Covishield for pregnant women after a woman who had taken the shot died. Some countries have also stopped giving it amid increasing reportd that it was kinked to blood clots. “This is also a fear among gynaecologists because pregnant women are at higher risk of developing blood clots,” Dr Ahuja added.
With only a handful of hospitals, that too in the big cities admitting pregnant women who are COVID positive and in the absence of no clear strategy for treating pregnant women, it remains to be seen what will be the reposne to Priyali’s petition.
Meanwhile, the countries that are vaccinating pregnant women are the US, UK, European Union, and Australia. Thety are giving the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, both of which have been deemed safe by a major new retrsospective study,” BBC reported.