By Maria Isabel Gallego and Miguel Angelo Magbag
The COVID-19 vaccines are safe for breastfeeding and pregnant mothers, the Department of Health said at the launching of the National Breastfeeding Awareness Month on Sunday.
DOH director for Knowledge Management and Information Technology Service, Dr. Enrique Tayag, said that there are still no reports of adverse effects on the child while it is in the uterus when the mother gets vaccinated against COVID-19.
“As of now, there is no proof that COVID-19 vaccines have an effect on babies. There is no effect on the pregnant woman and on your baby,” Tayag said.
He urged pregnant and breastfeeding mothers to be inoculated with COVID-19 vaccines.
“Dangerous complications may occur compared to other infected individuals that are not pregnant if you were infected by the COVID-19, giving birth to a premature baby is also possible,” Tayag said.
Dr. Beverly Lorraine Ho, director of DOH Disease Prevention and Control Bureau and Health Promotions Bureau, said that getting vaccinated could help pregnant and breastfeeding mothers against COVID-19 virus.
However, pregnant mothers are advised to take the vaccine during their second or third quarter of pregnancy and not during the first trimester since the fetus was still developing during that period.
Consulting doctors before being vaccinated was also advised especially if there are other health co-morbidities aside from being pregnant or breastfeeding, in order to ensure their safety.
“Our current guidelines as long as you are not in your first trimester… as long as you are in your fourth month of your pregnancy.
We also highly recommend that if you have any other health conditions consult first to your healthcare provider or to your OB-GYN for the assurance,” Ho said.
Meanwhile, Tayag “The best vaccine for pregnant and breastfeeding women was the one inoculated in your arm. Don’t choose anymore, all of the vaccines were in the emergency use listing. Why would we give you a vaccine that can’t provide protection?”
A COVID-19-vaccinated pregnant mother, Jessabelle Roquero, said that the information from DOH claiming COVID-19 vaccines were safe for pregnant women, and her pregnant friend, who’s also vaccinated, having no adverse reactions when she gave birth, urged her to take the vaccine shot.
“[S]ide effects were chills, I had fever, from slight fever it went to fever, and then I had body ache and headache, and the injection site was swollen for up to four days,” Roquero said.
Despite the adverse effects, Roquero said that she is still comfortable knowing that she is not the only one experiencing those side effects. She also stated that her decision to get vaccinated made her happy, “I am happy with my decision 100 percent, because I know that it added to our safety.”
In a phone call of Manila Standard to DOH’s COVID-19 hotline, the classification of pregnant mother to the present vaccination priority list will depend on her occupation, comorbidity, or economic status.
National Breastfeeding Awareness Month 2021 The health department together with National Nutrition Council (NNC) launched this year’s National Breastfeeding Awareness Month with the theme “Tulong-Tulong sa Pagpapasuso sa First 1000 days.”
Despite the advantages of breastfeeding to child’s growth, there is still an ongoing problem as not all babies nationwide are breastfed according to NNC Education and Information Chief Jovita Raval.
“Six out of 10 babies, zero to five months, are exclusively breastfed according to the National Research Institute survey last year. This means, four out of 10 babies were not fed through breastfeeding, and there is still a problem that blocks this natural practice,” Raval said in Filipino.
Raval revealed the number of target days is 1000 or equivalent to six months for mothers to be prepared to breastfeed in the first hour after the baby is born and to be continued up until the babies are eating complementary food. She emphasized mothers should even breastfeed their child even beyond six months as this will give them “complete nutrition.
“Breastfeeding is a shared responsibility.” She added, “in order for breastfeeding to be easy, it needs support structure on the part of the community.” Communities include people and the environment in house, workplace, public, and private spaces.
This year’s celebration is partnered by UNICEF, Korea International Cooperation Agency, Alive and Thrive, and mother support groups including Breastfeeding Pinays.
All Sundays of August will be dedicated to programs of National Breastfeeding Month.