Pregnant women have a 22 times increased chance of dying if they contract COVID-19.
This, according to New Zealand public health advocate and Immunisation Advisory Centre director Professor Nikki Turner.
She pleaded with breastfeeding women and pregnant mothers to get vaccinated.
“Firstly for breastfeeding women, please vaccinate. There are absolutely no concerns at all for any of our vaccines, so please do so,” she said.
Prof Turner said COVID-19 was not a good disease to catch during pregnancy.
“In the early days we didn’t realise how risky the COVID-19 disease was for pregnant women.
“We’ve learned a lot in the last few months.”
She said most countries with COVID-19 who had vaccines were vaccinating pregnant women.
Prof Turner emphasised the vaccine was virus free.
“So the vaccine you have in Fiji, the AstraZeneca vaccine is not a live vaccine, there is no virus in it.
“There’s no live virus in the vaccine presented to your body and creates antibodies.
“Now for women – that is what they need.
“The antibodies will go across the placenta and protect the unborn baby as well as the newborn, who gets some protection from the mother.”
