BY MAVIS N PODOKOLO
UNVACCINATED pregnant women are being urged to get vaccinated with Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine when have the opportunity to receive it.
Dr Leeanne Panisi, head of Obstetric Gynaecology, NRH made this call during the COVID-19 radio talkback show on the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation in Honiara.
Panisi said studies and reports from those countries that have recorded high number of COVID-19 infections have shown the use oF Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to have benefits for mother and also the baby.
“It decreases the severity of infection especially the lung infection and also decreases the risk of baby dying inside mother’s womb. It also lessens the risk of baby to born before nine months and the risk of baby to not growing well inside mother’s womb.
“In early studies it also shows that with this vaccination especially if pregnant mothers get it earlier in her pregnancy there will be transfer of some protective antibodies from mother to the baby and also it is protective on the baby’s first few months.
“Because of these benefits as a specialist on our National Referral Hospital I strongly recommend that our pregnant women must get the opportunity to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine,” she said.
Panisi said during pregnancy she will have changes inside her body where it places her at high risk of getting severe infection like the COVID-19 infection.
She said on some of the experiences from countries who have COVID-19 infection they found that pregnant women with this infection are at high risk of having severe lung infection and they need admission to hospital, they need admission to ICU high density unit and also at risk of dying from that severe infection.
She adds studies also discovered that another complication with COVID-19 infection on pregnancy is the baby will not grow well inside the mother’s womb. It also shows that this vaccine is safe for pregnancy and it does not show any adverse outcome on pregnant women.
“So with those complications it is more important for pregnant women to get the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and we recommend that. You can get it anytime during your pregnancy, the earlier the better,” Panisi said.
