Brazil has asked women to postpone the “pregnancy” until the Covid-19 pandemic subsides, citing the threat of a coronavirus variant plaguing the country. Between new variants and vaccine risks, this is not a good time to expect.
“If possible, postpone your pregnancy a little until a better moment,” Health Ministry official Raphael Parente told a news conference on Friday that the P1 variant of the coronavirus was present in Brazil. “Act more aggressively on pregnant women.”
Brazil has recently become one of the world’s coronavirus centers, with 13.7 million cases of Covid-19 recorded and 365,000 deaths, a second death toll after the United States.
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The large number of babies dying from Covid-19 in Brazil is doubly worrying. Between 518 and 1,032 babies under the age of one have died from the virus since February last year, according to various estimates collected by the BBC. The country’s overall high infection rate is blamed for this infant death.
The so-called P1 variant of the virus is thought to be responsible for the increase in infections in the country, which according to the health institute Fiocruz has brought the country’s health care system closer to collapse than ever before in the country’s history. The variant, first identified in the Amazon city of Manaus, is highly transmissible and is more likely for younger people. In addition, scientists claim that the variant is more resistant to vaccines and antibodies.
While the virus itself can endanger pregnant women, it can also cause vaccinations. Britain’s Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization (JCVI) on Friday advised that pregnant women should choose vaccinations from Pfizer and Moderna if possible, as there are more real safety data on these shots.
“There is no evidence to suggest that other vaccines are unsafe for pregnant women, but more research is needed,” added the JCVI. Previously, expectant mothers were advised to stray on the side of warning and delay vaccination.
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