Pregnant women will not be included in the early stages of the country’s vaccination program when Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) receives the first quota of COVID-19 vaccines.
The confirmation came from Dr. Adesh Sirjusingh, director of the Women’s Health Directorate, during the Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 virtual update on Monday.
“While the science and technology behind the development of these vaccines has been used for many years in the development and deployment of many other vaccines, pregnant and breastfeeding women were not included in the clinical trials of the current batch of COVID vaccines. We simply don’t 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) when it comes to the use of emergency authorizations among the people of Trinidad and Tobago. And of course make use of our own country’s situation analysis, which may differ from many others in the world, ”said Sirjusingh.
He noted that while the country is waiting for further data and additional research publications, the vaccine will not be approved for use in pregnant or breastfeeding women in T&T during the initial rollout.
Sirjusingh said in the meantime that pregnant women should continue to follow all public health measures at all times, especially when attending clinic sessions with health care providers.
The women’s health director stated that labor, delivery and postnatal birth are essential and encouraged pregnant women to wear their masks, avoid unnecessary touching of their face, nose, eyes and mouth, wash their hands and / or disinfect them regularly , ensure that physical distance is observed, avoid crowds and / or socializing, find a safe area away from others when the need to eat or drink arises, and avoid unnecessary interactions with those outside their household.
“If you feel unwell and are pregnant, if you have symptoms suggestive of an infection… cough, fever, breathing problems, call the nearest health care provider or emergency service at 811. Avoid traveling by public transportation.
“If you are pregnant and need to work, discuss this with your employer, especially if you are a primary care provider,” Sirjusingh said.
COVID-19 and pregnancy
In providing an update on how pregnant women have fared with contracting the virus, Sirjusingh said 39 women in Trinidad contracted the virus at various stages of their pregnancy, while Tobago raised a single case.
“Some of these women became very ill and needed care in the High Dependency Unit and intensive care unit. All mothers and their deliveries have been successfully managed so far. Not a single newborn has been 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 data is now evolving to suggest that preterm labor is slightly higher in women with COVID. 19 if they’re in the last few months of pregnancy.
“There is a minimal risk of COVID-19 transmission to the unborn baby or to the baby after delivery. In addition, there does not appear to be any risk of abnormal fetal effect in babies born to mothers with COVID-19. “
He said breastfeeding is encouraged in women with COVID-19 as soon as they are good enough for it, and noted that breast milk contains antibodies that transmit some immunity to COVID-19 to a baby.
Sirjusingh stated that pregnant women who are obese or who have pre-existing medical conditions, such as diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure, heart disease, and hypertension, are in a group at higher risk of contracting COVID-19. Women who are older during pregnancy (35+), and women in the last three months of pregnancy, also belong to that risk group.
Decrease in births
Sirjusingh stated that the country registered 15,171 deliveries in 2020, a slight decrease compared to the 2018 and 2019 figures, noting that there was no need for additional maternity care as a result of COVID-19.
“For the third consecutive year, Trinidad and Tobago has met the targets of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals in maternal and neonatal mortality.
“In many countries, maternity and newborn services have been severely disrupted and have seen increased death rates. Also, in many countries around the world there are now many documented deaths among pregnant women. Fortunately, our country is in a good place with no maternal mortality in Trinidad and Tobago due to COVID-19.
“Unlike other countries, all of our maternity and newborn services have continued to function normally. And we have successfully implemented isolation and other workflow changes and other protocols across all of our public healthcare settings to ensure our patients and staff are protected, ”said Sirjusingh.