By Sue-Ann Wayow
SOME pregnant women who have taken one dose of the Covid-19 Sinopharm vaccine can now get a second dose of the Pfizer vaccine.
This was announced by the Ministry of Health’s Director of Women’s Health Dr Adesh Sirjusingh on Wednesday during the ministry’s virtual media conference.
Currently, both the Sinopharm and Pfizer vaccines are being given to breastfeeding mothers but only the Pfizer is administered to those who are pregnant and in their second trimester.
Dr Sirjusingh said, “We just had an immunization technical advisory group meeting and the chief medical officer has advised me that there is a peculiar circumstance where some women are coming into pregnancy having had one dose of the Sinopharm vaccine.
“We have just approved that these women now take the Pfizer vaccine as per schedule, two doses of the Pfizer schedule from the second trimester and beyond and we will be sending out some correspondence upon that during this week.”
He also revealed that since March 2020 to October 29, 2021, 823 pregnant women contracted the Covid-19 virus of which two to three per cent ended up in either the Intensive Care Unit ICU or High Dependency Unit HDU and two deaths of women who succumbed after delivery.
Of those cases, 58 were detected last year, from January to June this year, there were 303 cases, in July, 75, 
August-126, September-161 and 100 positive cases in October.
Dr Sirjusingh said 833 women who would have had their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine during pregnancy as at Monday.
However, he lamented that only 31% of pregnant women have been vaccinated against the virus.
He again encouraged pregnant women to get vaccinated as they have a 70% increased risk of death if they contract Covid-19.
Dr Sirjusingh also encouraged pregnant women to get vaccinated against influenza to protect themselves and their babies.
