Covid-19 vaccination for pregnant women; Centre issues guidelines

New Delhi: The Union Health Ministry has issued guidelines for vaccinating pregnant women against Covid-19 and assured that the vaccines are safe for them.

All pregnant women need to register themselves on CoWIN portal or get themselves registered on-site at COVID-19 vaccination centre, said Union Ministry of Health.

Pregnancy does not increase the risk of COVID-18 infection. Most pregnant women will be asymptomatic or have mild disease, but their health might deteriorate rapidly and might affect the foetus too, said the guidelines.

It is important that they take all precautions to protect themselves from acquiring COVID-19, including taking vaccination against COVID-18. It’s therefore advised that a pregnant woman should take COVID-19 vaccines, added the guidelines.

Following are some of the key points:

• After being administered the vaccine, she can get a mild fever, pain at the injection site or feel unwell for one to three days.
• Pregnant women who are older than 35 years of age, obese, having a pre-existing medical condition or having a history of clotting in the limbs are at a higher risk of developing complications after being infected with COVID-19.
• In case a pregnant woman has been infected during the pregnancy, she should be vaccinated soon after the delivery.
• Very rarely pregnant women might experience the following symptoms within 20 days of getting vaccinated which may require immediate attention: Shortness of breath, chest pain, persistent abdominal pain with or without vomiting, pain or swelling in the limbs, small pinpoint haemorrhages, weakness or paralysis of limbs, seizures with or without vomiting, severe and persistent headaches with or without vomiting and persistent vomiting without any reason
• Most (over 96 per cent) newborns of COVID-19 positive mothers have been in good condition at birth. In some cases, COVID-19 infections in pregnancy may increase the possibilty of pre-mature delivery, the baby’s weight might be less than 2.5 kg and in rare situations, the baby might die before birth.

Union Ministry of Health issues guidelines for vaccination of pregnant women; COVID-19 vaccines available are safe & vaccination protects pregnant women against COVID-19 illness/disease like other individuals. pic.twitter.com/k47ggCOKj4

— ANI (@ANI) June 28, 2021

Also read: Centre approves Covid-19 vaccines for pregnant women