90% pregnant mothers vaccinated so far: Family Health Bureau

About 90% of the pregnant mothers have been vaccinated so far, Family Health Bureau Director and Community Physician Chitramali de Silva said.

She said Sri Lanka is the first country to start the COVID vaccination programme for pregnant mothers.

She expressed her views at the Information Department today while expressing the current progress of the vaccination programme and giving COVID vaccine for children, youth and pregnant mothers.

According to Dr. Silva, about 5,000 pregnant mothers have been diagnosed with COVID virus since the beginning of the corona virus spread. Currently, about 200 pregnant mothers are receiving treatment at hospitals with 52 deaths. All the COVID deaths took place after May this year.

About 100 maternal deaths are reported in Sri Lanka every year and it is unfortunate that there are 52 maternal deaths due to coronavirus alone, she said.

Therefore, vaccinations for pregnant mothers began and 90% of pregnant women have been vaccinated so far. Vaccination should be done without any fear as it can reduce the risk of complications and death in pregnant mothers, she said. (Chaturanga Samarawickrama)