DOH: It’s safe for preggies to get vaccinated

By Ernesto Delgado

LEGAZPI CITY --- Getting vaccinated during pregnancy significantly reduces the risk of death due to childbirth complications, a Department of Health official said.

DOH Health Promotion Bureau Director Lorra Angelia Sayson-Garcia said the belief that giving birth is a near-death experience for women is outdated.

“Very thankful po tayo na hindi na totoo na kapag nanganganak daw ang isang babae ang isang paa nya ay nasa hukay. Dahil sa bakuna at syempre sa medical advancement hindi na po ito totoo,” Sayson-Garcia said in a speech at the gathering of vaccinators in Legazpi City.

(We are very thankful that it is no longer true that when a woman gives birth, one of her feet is in the grave pit. This is no longer true because of the vaccine and medical advancement.)

“Halos zero na po ang kaso ng maternal and neonatal tetanus. Safely naipapanganak na po ang mga anak natin,” she added.

(The incidence of maternal and neonatal tetanus has been drastically reduced to nearly zero, which indicates that our efforts to

ensure a safe birth for our children have been successful.)

According to the DOH, pregnant women are recommended to get tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis vaccine. Some vaccines, like the measles, mumps, rubella vaccine, should be administered at least a month before pregnancy.

The DOH is actively promoting social behavior change interventions to instill trust in and encourage immunization.

This effort is in response to the rise of vaccine hesitancy, which some health authorities believe is contributing to the increasing prevalence of pertussis (whooping cough) across the country.

Speaking during the celebration of World Immunization Day, DOH Regional Director Rodolfo Antonio Albornoz urged parents to ensure that their family members are vaccinated against vaccine-preventable diseases.

Albornoz underscored the importance of the local government units, health workers, health facilities, and other stakeholders in encouraging parents and their children to avail themselves of the complete dose of vaccines required based on their age requirements.

Routine vaccines for pertussis, tuberculosis, pneumonia, tetanus, diphtheria, hepatitis B, poliovirus, meningitis, measles, mumps, and rubella are free of charge in health centers nationwide.

For routine vaccinations to be fully effective, children need to receive all the required doses according to the recommended schedule from the time they are born until they turn one-year old, according to Sayson-Garcia.

It is essential to ensure that at least 95 percent of children receive routine immunizations to maintain sufficient coverage, she added. (PIA5)