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Covid-19 vaccine for expectant mothers: FHB to discuss with DGHS at helm   

16 May 2021

 

  • Insufficient high flow O2 machines for Covid-positive pregnancies: OBGYNs 

  • Urges more HDU/ICU beds, ECMO machines 

  By Maheesha Mudugamuwa    The Covid-19 vaccination of expectant mothers is scheduled to be discussed at the next meeting of the relevant body of the Family Health Bureau (FHB), The Sunday Morning learnt.  FHB Director Dr. Chithramalee De Silva told The Sunday Morning that the meeting would most probably be held this week under the patronage of Director General of Health Services Dr. Asela Gunawardena.  “Even though the vaccination of expectant mothers was discussed earlier, there was no final decision taken,” Dr. De Silva said.  When contacted, State Minister of Primary Healthcare, Epidemics, and Covid Disease Control Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle said that the decision on whether to vaccinate expectant mothers should be taken by the relevant technical committee.  “At present, vaccinating expectant mothers is not being conducted on a large scale, worldwide,” she noted.  The Sri Lanka College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (SLCOG), in a statement, said that the vaccination of expectant mothers is recommended by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of England.  Meanwhile, the US-based Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended that expectant mothers receive the Covid-19 vaccination. In contrast, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that only expectant mothers at high risk of contracting the virus or of experiencing severe Covid-19 symptoms should be vaccinated.  However, peer reviewed data from several national surveillance systems presented in early March and published in the New England Journal of Medicine supported an optimistic outlook, even as researchers urged further study.  According to Health Ministry statistics, around 130 expectant mothers are receiving treatment for Covid-19 at present, and thus far, two deaths have been reported among them. The majority of Covid-19-infected expectant mothers are receiving treatment at the Neville Fernando Teaching Hospital and the Homagama Base Hospital.  Meanwhile, the SLCOG urged the authorities to ensure the availability and distribution of high flow oxygen machines to treat Covid-19-infected expectant mothers, as the present numbers of such machines available are not adequate. According to SLCOG President Dr. Pradeep de Silva, based on the population, per district, the country is in need of about 50 to 200 high dependency unit (HDU) beds, 10 to 50 high flow oxygen machines, four to 10 ICU beds, and two dedicated extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machines.   


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