Jakarta (ANTARA) - Referring to a Health Ministry circular vouching for the safety of COVID-19 vaccines, Womens Empowerment and Child Protection Minister I Gusti Ayu Bintang Darmawati has urged pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers to participate in the vaccination program.
The circular has been issued to ensure protection of pregnant women from the COVID-19 threat, especially in regions where transmission cases are high, she informed in a press statement received here on Wednesday.
In the circular, the Health Ministry has stated that the COVID-19 vaccine is safe for breastfeeding mothers, she noted.
The COVID-19 Handling Task Force has also advised that pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers consult a doctor or a health worker to check whether they are healthy enough to receive the vaccine, she pointed out.
In addition, the Health Ministrys disease prevention and control directorate general has issued a circular pertaining to COVID-19 vaccinations for pregnant women along with its screening compliance, she said.
The Indonesian Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (ITAGI) has suggested vaccinations for pregnant women to protect them from COVID-19, Darmawati added.
COVID-19 vaccination has been prioritized for pregnant women in high risk transmission regions, she highlighted.
Pregnant women must be given the vaccine since they are in the risk group and contracting the coronavirus can cause severe infection and even death among them, she stressed.
According to the Health Ministrys circular, COVID-19 vaccines based on the mRNA platform, such as the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, as well as Sinovacs inactivated platform vaccine are safe for pregnant women, Darmawati pointed out.
The circular also states that during the screening before COVID-19 inoculation, pregnant women should be carefully and thoroughly examined, she said.
Furthermore, based on the circular, COVID-19 vaccines can only be administered to women who are 13 weeks pregnant, she noted adding, the first dose can be given during the second trimester of pregnancy. (*)
