Pregnant and lactating women should be excluded from the Johnson & Johnson Sisonke vaccination programme at this stage, according to recommendations from the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra). The Department of Health revealed this in a statement on Monday where it was also confirmed that the Sisonke study will resume on Wednesday.
The Medical Research Council and other scientific bodies, will engage Sahpra on this recommendation and scientists will be able to make the case for pregnant women to receive the Covid-19 vaccine. Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said that Sahpra may have elected to err on the side of caution.
Over the weekend, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended the Covid-19 vaccine for women who are pregnant. Preliminary data suggested there is no evidence that the vaccine causes any form of concern for pregnant individuals or their babies.
The study published last week reported data from over 35,000 women in America who were either pregnant or soon to become pregnant. The continuation of the rollout will come with a set of conditions by Sahpra, including intensified pre-vaccination assessment, post vaccination monitoring and a consent form for healthcare workers.
Earlier this month, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended a pause on the issuing of the vaccine over potentially dangerous blood clotting concerns.
It was initially reported that six women developed a rare clot, called Vaccine Induced Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia. (VITT), however, two more have since been recorded.
In other news – Zodwa Wabantu’s son reveals why he can’t share bed with his mom
Zodwa Wabantu posted a clip of herself bonding with her handsome son Vuyo recently – In the video, the socialite asks her son to sleep next to her in her bed but he hilariously declines her offer.
MaZet’s son tells her that he prefers to sleep in his own bed because he has good dreams when he’s sleeping alone. Learn more
Source: eNCA
