Pregnant women will not be included in the initial phase of the country’s vaccination program when Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) receives its first quota of COVID-19 vaccines.
The confirmation came from Dr. Adesh Sirjusingh, Director of the Women’s Health Directorate, during the virtual update of the Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 on Monday.
“Although the science and technology behind the development of these vaccines has been used for many years in the development and distribution of many other vaccines, pregnant women and breastfeeding women have not been included in the clinical trials of this batch of COVID vaccines. We simply do not have enough data to make a clear recommendation about this vulnerable population.
“Our country will therefore follow the advice of the World Health Organization (WHO) with regard to the Use of Emergency Authorization in the population of Trinidad and Tobago. And, of course, use our own analysis of the country’s situation, which may be different from many others in the world, ”said Sirjusingh.
He noted that the country is awaiting further data and publication of additional studies, the vaccine will not be authorized for use by pregnant or breastfeeding women in T&T, during the initial launch.
Sirjusingh said, however, that pregnant women should continue to observe all public health measures at all times, especially when they attend clinical sessions at health care providers.
Affirming that labor, delivery and postpartum are essential, the woman’s health director encouraged pregnant women to wear their masks, avoid unnecessary touches on the face, nose, eyes and mouth, wash their hands and / or sanitize regularly, ensure physical distance. observed, avoid crowds and / or socialization, find a safe space away from other people if the need to eat or drink arises, and avoid unnecessary interactions with people outside your families.
“If you are not well and you are pregnant, if you have symptoms that suggest infection … cough, fever, difficulty breathing, call your nearest doctor or the ambulance service at 811. Avoid traveling by public transport.
“If you are pregnant and need to work, discuss this with your employer, especially if you are a first-rate healthcare professional,” said Sirjusingh.
COVID-19 and pregnancy
In providing an update on how pregnant women fared from contracting the virus, Sirjusingh said 39 women in Trinidad contracted the virus at different stages of pregnancy, while Tobago revealed a single case.
“Some of these women became very ill and needed care in a High Dependency Unit and in an Intensive Care Unit. However, all mothers and their babies have been successfully managed to date. No newborn baby was affected or had to be hospitalized as a result. “
Noting that the overall risk of COVID-19 in our pregnant women is slightly higher than that of the average healthy population, Sirjusingh added that the data is now evolving, which suggests that premature labor is slightly increased in women with COVID- 19 if they’re in the last months of pregnancy.
“There is a minimal risk of transmission of COVID-19 to the fetus or baby after delivery. In addition, there appears to be no risk of abnormal fetal effects in babies born to mothers with COVID-19. “
He said that breastfeeding is encouraged in women with COVID-19, once they are well enough to do so, and noted that breast milk has antibodies that impart some immunity to a baby against COVID-19.
Sirjusingh said that pregnant women who are obese or who have pre-existing medical conditions, such as diabetes, asthma, hypertension, heart disease and hypertension, belong to a group at greater risk of contracting COVID-19. Women who get older when pregnant (35+) and those in the last three months of pregnancy are also in this high-risk group.
Decline of births
Asserting that the country recorded 15,171 deliveries in 2020, a slight reduction from the figures for 2018 and 2019, Sirjusingh noted that there was no need for any additional maternity services as a result of COVID-19.
“For the third consecutive year, Trinidad and Tobago achieved the goals of the Sustainable Development Goals for 2030 in the areas of maternal and neonatal mortality.
“In many countries, maternity and newborn services have been severely disrupted and they have seen an excess in mortality. In addition, in many countries of the world, there have been many documented deaths of pregnant women. Fortunately, our country is in a good place, with no maternal deaths in Trinidad and Tobago by COVID-19.
“Unlike other countries, all of our maternity and newborn services continued to function normally. And we have successfully implemented isolation and other changes in the workflow, and other protocols in all of our public health facilities to ensure that our patients and staff are protected, ”said Sirjusingh.