Dr Amalina recommends pregnant mothers get vaccinated against Covid
9 Aug 2021
By Ilona Andrew
KOTA KINABALU: Malaysian-born surgeon Dr Amalina Che Bakri is calling for pregnant individuals to get vaccinated against Covid-19 as soon as possible.
The medical practitioner based in England explained that those who get infected with the virus during pregnancy have a higher risk of getting severe illness and that would increase hospital admissions.
One in 10 women require intensive care compared to those who are not pregnant and that they are at higher risk for preterm birth and stillbirth, she added.
"Studies show that mothers who got vaccinated during pregnancy were more protected and had a lower risk of getting an infection compared to those who were not vaccinated.
"So far, about 130,000 pregnant mothers in the United States of America and 50,000 in the United Kingdom have been vaccinated without any safety issues on both the mothers and the babies," she said in a Twitter thread today.
According to Amalina who is known to share her medical advice on social media, the vaccines neither causes infertility nor increases the risk of miscarriage.
"The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG)'s guidelines highlight that the vaccine can be given to pregnant women regardless of the state of pregnancy (with informed consent.
"And experts say it is necessary to complete two doses before giving birth to entering the third trimester as this is the most critical stage where the risk is highest for pregnant mothers."
Meanwhile, Amalina also mentioned that menstrual changes are not a known side effect of the Covid-19 vaccination.
"However, in some data reported to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), there have been some reports of increased or decreased bleeding during your period cycle.
"It is not clear if this is a coincidence or if there is a relationship, but there is no there is no evidence that Covid-19 vaccines have any effect on fertility (on men and women) or your chances of becoming pregnant," she explained.
"The vaccine does not have any long term side effects ... so there is no need to avoid pregnancy," she added.
The passing of Malaysian singer Siti Sarah today due to Covid-19 has opened the eyes of many on the importance of vaccines for pregnant women.
The 37-year-old had been battling with Covid-19 while pregnant with her fourth child. Doctors performed surgery before she passed and managed to save the baby.
It was learned that Sarah had not been able to receive her vaccination.
Comments