Increased COVID cases among unvaccinated pregnant women worrying – Health Minister

Over the past few days, the Health Ministry has seen an increase in COVID-19 cases among pregnant women – some of whom are developing a severe form of the virus.

Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony has said the infected pregnant women are being monitored at the Infectious Diseases Hospital, Georgetown Public Hospital and other regional facilities.
Alarmingly, all positive cases were unvaccinated against the coronavirus.
“We have seen a number of cases of persons who are pregnant coming in with COVID-19. We have seen that at the Ocean View Hospital… All of these women are unvaccinated. Some of them luckily would have a milder form of the disease, while others go on to have a severe presentation of the disease. In a few cases, we had to do emergency Cesarean sections.”
As of Thursday, antenatal mothers can now access the Pfizer vaccine. The Health Minister indicated that many persons were skeptical a few months ago to take the vaccine, given the lack of scientific evidence. However, the data now proves that the vaccines are safe and effective. Given the continued detection of the coronavirus among this bracket, he is encouraging persons to take the vaccine.
Pregnant women are cleared to take any of the COVID-19 vaccines currently offered in Guyana.
“Most of the obstetrics society globally have been encouraging pregnant women to get vaccinated in any one of the trimesters, because the vaccine is safe and it is protective. Observing from the cases that we have locally, almost every day we’re seeing between 15 and 20 cases of persons with COVID-19 who come into our hospitals…It is a challenge to manage these patients, especially if they have some form of respiratory distress. That is posing a challenge,” Dr Anthony related.
He further stated that exemptions can be provided if a person is allergic to a component of the vaccine, but the letters would have to be signed by the Chief Medical Officer. Persons found guilty of issuing exemptions without following the requisite guidelines would face consequences.
“This would be a very, very rare event, so very few conditions medically would require an exemption. I know some people have been issuing exemptions, but the exemption cannot be based on any serious medical illness. Some of those letters that have been issued, we have been investigating them, and if they were issued without proper medical information, then we are going to put those medical practitioners before the Medical Council,” he warned.
The Health Ministry has completed 365,274 first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, representing 71.2 per cent of the adult population. Second doses are at 218,120 shots, or 42.5 per cent. Meanwhile, 25,510 adolescents, or 35 per cent, have received their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine, while second doses are at 14,367 or 19.6 per cent.
Last month, Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Director Dr Carissa F Etienne urged countries to prioritise expectant and lactating mothers for vaccinations.
“PAHO recommends that all pregnant women after their first trimester, as well as women who are breastfeeding, receive the COVID-19 vaccine,” she had said, while adding that COVID vaccines approved by WHO are safe to administer during pregnancy and are a critical tool to protect expectant mothers during the pandemic.
More than 270,000 pregnant women have become sick with COVID in the Americas, and more than 2,600 have died from the virus. The problem is particularly acute in Mexico and Colombia, where COVID-19 has become the leading cause of maternal deaths in 2021.