[ad_1]
KUALA LUMPUR: Pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers, who fear they are at high risk for Covid-19 infection, are likely considering vaccination as a preventive measure.
However, they can be confused, as many believe that these women are not allowed to inject the vaccine, as its side effects could be harmful not only for mothers, but also for the fetus and the breastfed baby.
In fact, Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah said that for now this group has not been recommended to inject the vaccine due to lack of sufficient data (on side effects).
“Regardless of the trimester, they (pregnant women) are not advised to take it (the vaccine) at the moment,” he told Bernama briefly when contacted.
According to the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) in their updated Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about the Covid-19 Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine called Comirnaty, pregnant and lactating women were asked to consult their respective physicians on whether they were suitable recipients of the vaccine.
“The clinical trial of the Comirnaty vaccine did not involve pregnant or lactating women.
“Since there is no data on the effectiveness and safety of the use of this vaccine for this sector of the population, no recommendations can be made until the most recent information is obtained,” NPRA said.
Datuk Dr. Ashar Abdullah, an obstetrician and gynecologist at KPJ Ampang Puteri Specialist Hospital, said, however, that if they are front-line personnel, they should be vaccinated as they face an increased risk of Covid-19 infection.
“Currently the problem is that there is not enough data to support routine vaccination of pregnant and lactating mothers but as far as I know there is no additional risk for this group, like all the others,” he said.
However, he said, the recommendation was only to delay taking vaccination shots until sufficient data has been obtained, and it is not to say that (the vaccine) is not necessary or should not be taken at all.
Dr. Niazlin Mohd Taib, Associate Professor of Medical Microbiology at Putra University Malaysia, also shares the view of Dr. Ashar, who said that the need for pregnant front-line personnel to receive the vaccine injections is high, but it depends on the trimester of pregnancy.
However, like other pregnant women, the application of vaccines to pregnant first-line personnel requires “consensus”, discussion and “referral” based on data and facts.
“For pregnant mothers, the length of the pregnancy … whether it’s the first, second or third trimester … must be taken into account in determining when is the right time to administer the vaccine.
“Discussions with experts involved such as neonatologists, gynecologists and maternal and child hospitals about the need for vaccination are necessary in terms of safety and risk factor for each person, because health and occupation factors play a role,” he said.
Niazlin said that if a pregnant woman does not have a high risk of contracting Covid-19 infection, such as living in a green area and family members are not frontline workers, then the need for the vaccine is less and they can wait until ‘consensus’ or ‘guidelines’ are issued.
She said that the guidelines for immunization change based on the evidence for the safety, effectiveness and importance of vaccination based on a person’s risk of Covid-19 infection.
“Several health organizations around the world have also reviewed the importance of vaccination among themselves (pregnant / lactating women), as they are considered among those who are at risk of contracting Covid-19 infection,” he said.
The Chairman of the Malaysian Public Health Physicians Association Datuk, Dr. Zainal Ariffin Omar, also opined that although the vaccine is not recommended for these women, he recommended that they seek expert opinion first and not make their own interpretations. .
“Pregnant mothers generally cannot take (the blows) but some experts are of the opinion that in the third trimester, the vaccine can be taken because the baby’s formation is complete … that’s why we don’t give any medicine (to pregnant women women) during the first three months (of pregnancy).
“As such, we cannot match everyone who is pregnant. It is better to consult a doctor to be sure, ”he added.
Previously, international media reported that Pfizer had recently started clinical trials of the vaccine in the United States with 4,000 pregnant mothers to test the safety and efficacy of the Covid-19 vaccine. – Called
[ad_2]
