WASHINGTON, United States (CMC)\u00a0\u2014\u00a0The director of the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) Dr Carissa Etienne, urged countries to prioritise expectant and lactating mothers for vaccinations amid concerns that the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic represents a serious risk for pregnant women in Latin America and the Caribbean.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know that if pregnant women get sick, they have a higher risk of developing serious COVID symptoms, and more frequently require ventilation and intensive care, when compared to women who aren’t pregnant,\u201d the Dominican-born Dr Etienne said at her weekly news briefing on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey also have a higher chance of delivering their baby early or pre-maturely. So, let me be clear, PAHO recommends that all pregnant women, after their first trimester as well as women who are breastfeeding, receive the COVID-19 vaccine.\u201d<\/p>\n
She said that COVID vaccines approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO) are safe to administer during pregnancy and are a critical tool to protect expectant mothers during the pandemic.<\/p>\n
More than 270,000 pregnant women have become sick with COVID in the Americas so far, and more than 2,600 have died from the virus. The problem is particularly acute in Mexico and Colombia, where COVID-19 has become the leading cause of maternal deaths in 2021.<\/p>\n
At the same time, Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil account for half of all COVID deaths among pregnant women in the region.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor the past three decades, Latin America and the Caribbean struggled to reduce maternal mortality. Now the pandemic threatens to wipe away 20 years of hard-fought gains,\u201d Dr Etienne said.<\/p>\n
The pandemic also threatens health care for pregnant women. At least 40 per cent of countries in the region have reported disruptions to maternal and newborn care amid the pandemic.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese disruptions have become more widespread during this second year of the pandemic,\u201d Dr Etienne said, noting that some countries, including Belize and Guatemala, report that pregnancy-related care has been disrupted in over half of health sites.<\/p>\n
In addition to prioritising pregnant and lactating women for COVID-19 vaccines, the director also urged countries to ensure their access to health services.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd finally, it is critical that pregnant women maintain the public health measures proven effective against this virus,\u201d she said, recommending that they wear masks, keep social distance, limit contact with people outside of their households and avoid indoor gatherings.<\/p>\n
Turning to the toll that the pandemic is taking on the Americas, Dr Etienne said, \u201ctoday we are seeing nearly double the number of infections reported this time last year\u201d.<\/p>\n
She reported nearly 1.5 million cases and more than 22,000 COVID-related deaths in the Americas in the past week.<\/p>\n
While new infections are declining in the Caribbean, COVID-19-related deaths are increasing on many islands, including Sint Marteen, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico.<\/p>\n
COVID-19 infections are rising in Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Belize. At the same time, infections continue to drop across South America, although there is a slight increase in cases in Venezuela.<\/p>\n
Dr Etienne said vaccination campaigns are progressing despite limited supplies.<\/p>\n
So far, 28 per cent of people in Latin America and the Caribbean have been fully vaccinated, with significant differences from country to country.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile we should celebrate that Canada, Chile and Uruguay have fully vaccinated over two thirds of their populations, we cannot forget that one fourth of countries in our region have yet to vaccinate 20 per cent of their people, and in some places, coverage is much lower,\u201d Dr Etienne said.<\/p>\n
She pointed out that Guatemala and Nicaragua are below 10 per cent coverage, and in Venezuela, just over 11 per cent of people have been fully vaccinated. In Haiti, less than one per cent of the population has been protected.<\/p>\n
\u201cPAHO is helping to channel donations from countries with excess doses, but we need more vaccines to save lives in the hardest-hit corners of Latin America and the Caribbean,\u201d Dr Etienne said.<\/p>\n
She said PAHO is working to expand vaccine access by using its Revolving Fund to procure doses for member states and through a longer-term initiative to produce mRNA vaccines in the region.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese actions, combined with increased global supplies of vaccines that are expected later this year and in 2022, will help us reduce inequalities,\u201d Dr Etienne added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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