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KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 18 — An expert committee has been formed to look into the risks and safety of administering the Covid-19 vaccine to pregnant women, the Health Ministry said today.
Dr Kalaiarasu M. Peariasamy, director of the Clinical Research Institute under the ministry, said that the committee comprises obstetricians, gynaecologists and paediatricians and other health experts who deal with pregnancies daily.
“As we know, pregnant women are not included in the clinical trials, so we do not have any data with regards to this. However, in the rollout of the vaccine in the United States, there are already recipients of the vaccines who are pregnant.
“This data is being closely monitored and we will look closely at how the pregnancy outcome is. But the current evidence does not seem to contraindicate directly, nor does it support directly – so it’s a mixed decision,” he said in a press conference today.
MoH said expert committee looking into the safety pregnant mothers receiving the vaccine as there is no data from clinical trials, they are looking at other country’s who have vaccinated pregnant mothers and compiling the data now. Dr Kalai said that for now, it is advisable to wait until after pregnancy to receive the vaccine.