Vaccines Ok for pregnant women: Government changes earlier stand

Mangalore Today News Network / NDTV

New Delhi, Jun 25, 2021: Pregnant women "can and should" be vaccinated against COVID-19 but vaccinating children is "still debatable until relevant data is available", the Union Health Ministry said Friday, amid concern over expansion of vaccine beneficiaries ahead of a possible third wave of coronavirus infections.

 

"The Health Ministry has given guidelines that the vaccine can be given to pregnant women. Vaccination is useful for them and should be given," Dr Balram Bhargava, Director-General of the Indian Council for Medical Research, was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

However, Dr Bhargava advised caution in rushing to vaccinate children.

"There is only one country giving vaccines to children at the moment. Whether very small children will ever need vaccines is still a question. Till such time as we have more data... we will not be in a position to vaccinate children at large," Dr Bhargava said.

"We have started a study on children (two to 18 years old) and will have results by September."

Vaccination for pregnant women was one of the topics discussed by the NTAGI, or National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, last month.

Doubts were raised about possible risks to the mother and/or child - including that of clotting (or thrombosis) with the Covishield jab, but the committee decided "benefit far outweighs the risk".

"Considering current situation of pandemic, NTAGI-STSC recommends pregnant women should not be excluded from vaccination because exposure probability is very high and therefore the benefit far outweighs the risk," the committee said in its report.

"... before vaccination, pregnant women should be fully informed that long-term adverse reactions and safety of vaccine for fetus and child (has) not yet (been) established," it added.

Making vaccines available for pregnant women was an issue flagged by Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, who said last month on NDTV: "Why should any woman be kept out of the ambit of vaccination because of a biological process?"

However, vaccination for children - which some have called for because of fears the third Covid wave will target children (those below 18 years of age) - is not allowed for now.

The government has not permitted this, citing lack of WHO policy on this subject.

Bharat Biotech, makers of the Covaxin vaccine, are conducting a trial on 525 children between two and 18, with results expected in two-three months, AIIMS chief Dr Randeep Guleria told NDTV.

Last week sources in the Serum Institute told NDTV the company is also planning a vaccine trial for children; this will be the Covovax vaccine, manufacturing of which began Friday.

The government has played down fears children will be affected in any future Covid waves, but has also ordered that next month’s sero survey will include 14,000 kids over the age of six.