COVID-19 Vaccine Should Be Given To Pregnant Women, Says ICMR

Vaccinating Pregnant Women: On Friday, the Director-General Dr Balram Bhargava of the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) said that COVID-19 vaccines should be given to pregnant women as it is useful for them.

ICMR's Dr Balram Bhargava further added that the results of a small study on children in the 2-18 age group are likely to come in September.

He said in a statement while addressing a press conference on the COVID-19 situation in the country, "The Ministry of Health has given the guideline that vaccine can be given to pregnant women. Vaccination is useful in pregnant women, and it should be given." He further added that only one country so far is vaccinating children against COVID-19.

Dr Balram Bhargava said that a small study has been conducted to know whether very small children need vaccination. The study was conducted on children aged between 2-18 years of age. Though he  said that vaccinating all the children in the country at large is not possible at the moment.

According to the guidelines laid out by the government, only lactating women are recommended to take the vaccine against COVID-19. Dr Bhargava further said that the government soon will release guidelines for vaccinating pregnant women.

Another study conducted by ICMR revealed that pregnant and post-partum women suffered more in the second wave of COVID-19 in the country rather than in the first.

World Health Organization (WHO) presented interim guidance to permit vaccination of pregnant women. WHO discussed that the vaccination for pregnant women must commence when its benefits outweigh potential risks has cleared the way for India to expand its immunization drive to this sub-group. They further added that pregnant women may be at a higher risk of contracting the virus.

Archana Dhawan Bajaj, a Delhi-based gynaecologist at Nurture IVF Clinic said, "By vaccinating pregnant women, we not only protect pregnant women and child but also all the people they come in contact with."