People who are pregnant are strongly recommended to get vaccinated against Covid-19 after five expectant mothers were hospitalised with coronavirus since the current outbreak began in August.
Covid-19 vaccinations have been recommended for pregnant people since June amid a growing body of evidence that the risk of severe outcomes while expecting are significantly higher.
“Based on the latest data we have, there have been five cases recorded where those people have been pregnant and they have been hospitalised as part of this outbreak,” Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said during the daily Covid-19 media conference on Tuesday.
He noted how health officials were seeing “unvaccinated pregnant people arriving at hospital and quite unwell because of the virus” in mid-September, while Auckland was at Alert Level 4.
“I would like to reiterate that there is now very clear evidence from experience globally and indeed, our experience here, that vaccination is not just safe but is highly protective for pregnant people, and there are no additional safety concerns in pregnancy,” Dr Bloomfield said.
He said during Monday’s media conference that getting vaccinated “not only affords protection to the pregnant person but also some protection through the placenta to the infant as well, or in utero, and then obviously they carry that through, post-birth”.
“ Vaccination at any time in pregnancy helps and so I’d encourage anyone who is pregnant to talk to their health professional about getting vaccinated if you haven’t already.”
In the same media conference, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said statistics out of the United States and Australia around pregnant women being hospitalised with the virus “has been pretty devastating”.
She noted that people have been waiting to give birth before getting vaccinated.
“Whilst I’m really pleased that those individuals have been safe in that intervening period of time, actually it would have been devastating if they had Covid before they were vaccinated, because the outcomes we’re seeing in the hospitalisations and the severe illness in pregnant women is awful.”
Dr Bloomfield reiterated calls for pregnant women to get vaccinated.
“My strong encouragement here in New Zealand is for pregnant women to talk to their health professional and to strongly consider getting vaccinated.”
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