NEW DELHI: Over 2.27 lakh pregnant women have taken shots within a month of Covid-19 vaccination centres opening for them. Tamil Nadu recorded the highest number, the Centre said on Friday.
The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare approved inoculations against the virus for pregnant women from July 2, based on recommendations from the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization. Pregnant women can opt for vaccine slots at any point during pregnancy.
Over the last four weeks, Tamil Nadu vaccinated 78,838 pregnant women followed by Andhra Pradesh with 34,228, Odisha with 29,821, Madhya Pradesh with 21,842, Kerala with 18,423 and Karnataka with 16,673, as per ministry data.
The government said service providers and frontline health workers were trained to counsel pregnant women and their families. They focused on routine antenatal care and briefed them about the importance of vaccination during pregnancy.
The states further sensitized their teams of government and private facilities on the need for vaccination, the Centre added. Studies showed that Covid-19 infection during pregnancy may result in rapid deterioration of health, escalating the risk of severe disease affecting the fetus too.