Philippine Red Cross Chairman and CEO, Senator Richard Gordon (File photo)
MANILA – As the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) led by Senator Richard Gordon continues to be the active ally of the government, the humanitarian organization urges the Covid-19 vaccination of all pregnant and lactating mothers in their first trimester of pregnancy.
"The PRC is encouraging all pregnant mothers, including those who are planning to get pregnant and those who just gave birth and currently breastfeeding, to get vaccinated to protect themselves from Covid-19,” PRC Clinical Services Coordinator Dr. Noel Bernardo said in a media release Friday.
"Here in the PRC, the most important is significantly increasing the number of the people we vaccinate no matter what, our end goal is to open up the world and bring lives and livelihoods to normality," Gordon added.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the benefits of the vaccine may be greatest for pregnant women at highest risk from Covid-19, such as frontline health workers, people living in areas of high transmission, and those with health conditions like hypertension (high blood pressure) and diabetes that add to their risk of severe disease.
If you are pregnant, the WHO and the Department of Health (DOH) have recommended you get either of the Covid-19 vaccines currently available.
While it is not required, talking to your doctor about the vaccine is helpful for it allows you to ask questions or express concerns you may have, it also allows your doctor to make sure that you do not have any risk factors that could make the vaccine a less safe option for you.
To date, the DOH approves the following Covid-19 vaccines for mothers:
Pfizer
Moderna
Sinovac
AstraZeneca
Johnson&Johnson
To register for Covid-19 vaccination, call 1158. (PR)
