IT IS SAFE FOR PREGNANT WOMEN TO TAKE THE COVID JAB

THE PREGNANT SHOULD TAKE THE COVID-19 JAB TO HELP PROTECT
THEMSELVES AND UNBORN, advised Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony.
“There are millions and millions of persons who would have received the vaccine during
pregnancy and it had no effect on the baby,” Dr Anthony advised.
The minister continued, “So, among 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.” Anthony counselled.
Lactating mothers worry about getting inoculated fearing exposing their newborn to side effects
of the vaccine. However, Anthony, a Cuban-trained healthcare specialist, noted the vaccines
protect babies through breastfeeding.
“For those breastfeeding mothers too, there’s no contrary indication that if you get the vaccine
during breastfeeding, 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,” the minister advised.
He said data from the United States’ Center of Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC)
indicate none of the COVID-19 vaccines contain the live virus which would make pregnant
women or their babies sick.
On the contrary, the CDC said pregnant women who contract 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, the Anthony said includes sickness that requires
hospitalisation, intensive care, need for ventilators or breathing equipment and even death.

The local health ministry recently recorded 313 new Covid cases, the highest number within 24
hours. Data show there are presently 141 persons hospitalised nationwide from contracting
COVID-19.
Data indicate 99 of those persons were admitted to the Infectious Diseases Hospital, at
Liliendaal, on the east coast, and of these, 31 are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and 17, in the
Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation’s (GPHC) Obstetrics Unit.
Anthony is imploring unvaccinated Guyanese to get immunised at any of the 100
vaccination sites spread strategically across the country.