"Important For Pregnant Women To Get Vaccinated": VK Paul

VK Paul pregnant women vaccines: It is important for pregnant women to get vaccinated, India's COVID-19 task force head Dr VK Paul said in a briefing Friday. The three vaccines in India are safe to use and guidelines from the centre have been issued for the same, he added.

"Apart from the mother, there is also a risk to the child in case she contracts the infection," Dr Paul said.

After a long wait, COVID-19 vaccines for pregnant women were granted central approval on July 2. Read about health ministry's guidelines here.

Through the deadly second wave of the pandemic in India, there was no word from authorities on vaccine usage safety for pregnant women. SheThePeople spoke to some expecting mothers.

A report by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) noted the rise in cases among pregnant women after April. Symptomatic cases among pregnant and postpartum women reached 28.7 percent from 14.2 percent during the first wave, the council said.

The centre has issued a notification on the COVID-19 vaccines not affecting either male or female fertility as well. ">Watch an explainer video here.

VK Paul Pregnant Women Vaccines, Tourist Spots And More

Further as videos and photos emerge on social media of people flocking to tourist spots in the north - majorly Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand - Paul warned the second wave of COVID-19 wasn't over yet, since daily cases are still numbering anywhere near 35000-40000.

Pictures speak- No room in hospital to no room in hotels at Manali in some days. 😷#manali pic.twitter.com/uKkLFRyMW9

— Amarpreet Singh (@amarpreet_ka) July 4, 2021

Uttarakhand | Now only 50 tourists are allowed at Kempty Falls (waterfall) in Mussorie; can't stay at the spot beyond half an hour. A check-post to be set up to monitor the tourists: Iva Ashish Srivastava, Tehri Garhwal District Magistrate pic.twitter.com/7VvWbZedQQ

— ANI (@ANI) July 9, 2021

Calling these visuals a "serious cause of concern," Paul said, "A new risk is being seen at tourist spots where a gathering of crowds being seen, social distancing and mask protocol is not being followed."

Experts have warned against the loosening of COVID-19 norms in view of an impending third wave of COVID-19. As concerns grow of virus variants (with two cases of the Kappa variant detected in Uttar Pradesh today) the advisory panel said the Lambda strain wasn't yet found in India.

"We should be watchful of such variants," Paul said.