PAHO director urges countries to prioritise pregnant and lactating women for COVID-19 vaccinations

WARNING that COVID-19 represents a serious risk for pregnant women in Latin America and the Caribbean, Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Director Carissa F Etienne urged countries to prioritise expectant and lactating mothers for vaccinations.

“We 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,” she said during her weekly press briefing. “They also have a higher chance of delivering their baby early or prematurely.”

“So let me be clear,” she continued, “PAHO recommends that all pregnant women, after their first trimester, as well as women who are breastfeeding, receive the COVID-19 vaccine.” She added that COVID-19 vaccines approved by the World Health Organization are safe to administer during pregnancy and are a critical tool to protect expectant mothers during the pandemic.

More than 270,000 pregnant women have become sick with COVID-19 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.

At the same time, Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil account for half of all COVID-19 deaths among pregnant women in the region.

“For the past three decades, Latin America and the Caribbean struggled to reduce maternal mortality,” Dr Etienne said. “Now the pandemic threatens to wipe away 20 years of hard-fought gains.”

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.

“These disruptions have become more widespread during this second year of the pandemic,” Dr Etienne said.

Some countries, including Belize and Guatemala, report that pregnancy-related care has been disrupted in over half of health sites.

In addition to prioritising pregnant and lactating women for COVID-19 vaccines, the director also urged countries to ensure their access to health services.

“And finally, it is critical that pregnant women maintain the public health measures proven effective against this virus,” she said, recommending that they wear masks, keep social distance, limit contact with people outside of their households, and avoid indoor gatherings.

Turning to the toll that the pandemic is taking on the Americas, Dr Etienne said, “Today we are seeing nearly double the number of infections reported this time last year.”

She has reported nearly 1.5 million cases and more than 22,000 COVID-19-related deaths in the Americas in the past week.

While new infections are declining in the Caribbean, COVID-19-related deaths are increasing on many islands, including Sint Maarten, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico.

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.

Vaccination campaigns are progressing despite limited supplies, Dr Etienne reported. So far, 28 per cent of people in Latin America and the Caribbean have been fully vaccinated, with significant differences from country to country.