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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.
Confirmation came from Dr Adesh Sirjusingh, director of the Women’s Health Directorate, during the Ministry of Health’s virtual COVID-19 update on Monday.
“Although the science and technology behind the development of these vaccines have been used for many years in the development and deployment of many other vaccines, pregnant and breastfeeding women have not been included in clinical trials. on the current batch of COVID vaccines. We just don’t have enough data to make a clear recommendation on this vulnerable population.
“Our country will therefore follow the advice of the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding the use of emergency clearances in the population of Trinidad and Tobago. And of course, use our own country situation analysis, which may differ from many others around the world, ”Sirjusingh said.
He noted that as the country is awaiting additional data and publication of additional studies, the vaccine will not be authorized for use in pregnant or breastfeeding women in the treatment of T&T, upon initial deployment.
Sirjusingh said that in the meantime, pregnant women should continue to observe all public health measures at all times, especially when attending clinical sessions with health service providers.
Declaring that labor, delivery and post-natal are essential, the director of women’s health encouraged pregnant women to wear their masks, to avoid unnecessary touching their face, nose, eyes and mouth, washing hands and / or disinfecting regularly, ensuring that they are observed, avoid crowds and / or socializing, find a safe space away from others if the need to eat or drink arises, and avoid unnecessary interactions with people outside their home.
“If you are not feeling well and are pregnant, have symptoms suggesting infection… cough, fever, difficulty breathing, call the nearest health care provider or ambulance service on 811. Avoid travel by public transport.
“If you are pregnant and need to work, please discuss this with your employer, especially if you are a frontline health care provider,” Sirjusingh said.
COVID-19 and pregnancy
Providing an update on how pregnant women experienced contracting the virus, Sirjusingh said 39 women in Trinidad contracted the virus at different stages of their pregnancy, while Tobago reported a single case.
“Some of these women fell seriously ill and needed high dependency unit care and intensive care. However, all mothers and their infants have been managed successfully to date. No newborn was affected or required hospitalization. “
Noting that the overall risk of COVID-19 on our pregnant women is slightly higher than that of the average healthy population, Sirjusingh added that the data is currently evolving, which suggests that preterm labor is slightly increased in women with COVID-19 if they’re in the last months of pregnancy.
“The risk of transmitting COVID-19 to an unborn baby or to a baby after childbirth is minimal. In addition, there does not appear to be any risk of abnormal fetal effects in babies born to mothers with COVID-19. “
He said breastfeeding is encouraged in women with COVID-19 once they are well enough to do so, and noted that breast milk contains antibodies that impart some immunity to a baby against COVID. -19.
Sirjusingh said pregnant women who are obese or with pre-existing health conditions such as diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure, heart disease and hypertension, belong to a group at higher risk of contracting COVID-19. . Women who are older when pregnant (35+) and those in the last three months of pregnancy are also in this high risk group.
Lower births
Indicating that the country recorded 15,171 deliveries in 2020, a slight decrease from the 2018 and 2019 figures, Sirjusingh noted that there was no need for additional maternity services due to COVID-19.
“For the third year in a row, Trinidad and Tobago has met the targets of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals in the areas of maternal and newborn mortality.
“In many countries maternity and newborn services have been severely disrupted and they have seen excess mortality. In addition, in many countries around the world, many deaths of pregnant women have been documented. Fortunately, our country is in a good situation with no maternal deaths in Trinidad and Tobago from COVID-19.
“Unlike other countries, all of our maternity and newborn services continued to function normally. And we have successfully implemented isolation and other workflow changes and other protocols across all of our public health facilities to ensure the protection of our patients and staff, ”Sirjusingh said. .
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