EXPECTANT mothers are racing to get vaccinated to shield themselves and their unborn child against Covid-19.

The women told The Malaysian Insight they were also staying home as much as possible.

Shazanah Filzah Ishak said she constantly felt nervous. The 33-year-old lecturer from Shah Alam, Selangor said news of pregnant mothers dying of infection were a cause of worry.

“It creates more anxiety for me. I tend to feel lost and numb. Working from home really helps. It gets me to relax because I feel safe staying at home most of the time,” she said, adding she had also been able to function better and focus on family and work at the same time.

Nearly 4,000 pregnant women were diagnosed with Covid-19 infection between March last year and June. Seventy of them died from the virus.

Shazana, who is in her 30th week of pregnancy, is fully vaccinated. She received her second dose on July 13.

“I was contemplating at first. But (after) weighing the pros and cons, I decided to do it,” she said.

Shazan had consulted her gynaecologist whether she should opt for vaccination.

“Her response was great and supportive. So I finally went for it. I still have to adhere to the SOP (standard operating procedure). Even though I’m at home all the time, being vaccinated makes me feel safer, not only for me but my four-year-old who is with me all the time.”

Shazana said she has had regular check-ups at a private hospital and government health clinic.

She has yet to decide where to give birth.

“But looking at the cases today, most probably I will be giving birth at the private hospital,” she said.

Meanwhile, 35-year old entrepreneur, Nur Yasmin Malik, said she had been working from home and not leaving her house unless it was totally necessary.

She added her husband had been running most of the errands while she had arranged for her purchases to be delivered.

Nur Yasmin, in Sungai Buloh, is willing to travel to give birth at the Putrajaya Hospital which has a lower number of Covid-19 cases compared to her nearest hospital.

“I have gotten my first dose. Initially I was worried about getting the vaccine out of concern that it may have an impact on the baby. I felt like that could be a risk and I was a bit paranoid,” she said.

“I sought the advice of a specialist and the doctor said the Pfizer vaccine would not have an effect on the baby,” she said.

Nur Yasmin walked into the Kuala Selangor Stadium to get her first dose.

She added some of her friends who were also pregnant started getting vaccinated following the death of singer Siti Sarah Raisuddi on August 9.

The “Kesetiaan” singer lost a battle with Covid-19 and doctors had to perform surgery while she was in a medically induced coma to deliver her baby.

Nur Yasmin said the case created awareness of the importance of vaccination for expectant mothers.

“My friends who are pregnant decided to get vaccinated as soon as they could after hearing the news of Siti Sarah’s death. A lot of them were scared. Two or three of my friends walked in to get vaccinated,” she said.

Nur Yasmin, who is four months pregnant, said she had also been taking vitamins and supplements that are suitable for pregnant women.

Meanwhile, Zulaiha Abdul in Kuala Lumpur said her doctor had encouraged her to get vaccinated and she had since completed the course.

The 28-year-old marketing executive, who is six months pregnant, said she hoped all would be well although she was a bit worried about being exposed to the virus at the hospital when her baby was delivered.

Director-general of health Dr Noor Hisham said as of August 8, 146,759 expectant mothers were registered for vaccination under the “ibunisasi” campaign launched in June.

Of these, 83,251 or 57% have received one dose of vaccine while 20% are fully vaccinated.

However, Noor Hisham said registration for vaccination was still low, as only 40% of pregnant women had registered.

He urged all pregnant women to get vaccinated to reduce the risk of complications if they get infected.

“Since pregnant mothers are in the high risk group with the potential to contract severe Covid-19 infection, precautionary measures are very important to prevent Covid-19 infection,” he said.

“Husbands must support their spouse to ensure that they get the Covid-19 vaccine. The vaccination must be completed before the third trimester,” he said. – September 2, 2021.