Pregnant women should take Covid-19 vaccines as they are safe and effective against the viral infection, said Niti Aayog Member (health) Dr VK Paul on Friday. He said available data on these vaccines suggests that they are safe to be used by pregnant women.
“Apart from the mother, there is also risk to the child in case she contracts the infection. The Union Health Ministry has issued guidelines on this. Pregnant women should get vaccinated. It is very important,” Dr Paul said.
He added that studies have found that chances of pre-term delivery increase if a woman contracts Covid-19 during pregnancy.
On July 2, the Union Health Ministry announced inclusion of pregnant women in the ongoing vaccination drive against Covid-19.
The ministry accepted the recommendations of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) on this subject.
“Pregnant women may now register on CoWin or walk-in to the nearest Covid Vaccination Centre (CVC) to get themselves vaccinated,” the ministry had said, adding that operational guideline for vaccinating pregnant women has shared with states/UTs.