Despite high risks pregnant women have no scope to register for Coronavirus vaccine. In the national Surokkha app if the applicants select ‘Pregnant’ option a new interface comes in showing ‘No vaccination during pregnancy’ and the registration process aborts.
On August 2, government approved to push Covid-19 shots on pregnant and lactating women’s arm. However, Surokkha app does not support the applicants yet to register in this category.
As the website is not updated in line with the government decision, the pregnant women above 25 years, which earlier authorities fixed as minimum age to get coronavirus vaccine, are being deprived of getting the shot.
As government signaled to inoculate pregnant and lactating mothers, Jwel Talukder decided to register his wife Bebi Rani Das (30) to get coronavirus vaccine. Despite repeated efforts Jewel failed.
“I selected Citizen Registration category (25 and above) option. But when I select ‘Pregnant’ option, it turns red and discards the registration process. I have successfully registered minethis but why my wife’s registration fails I cannot say. Whenever I go for registration, a box pops up and says ‘No shots during pregnancy’,” Jewel said while talking to the reporter.
In surokkha app there is no category for pregnant women. The list of categories includes health workers, law enforcing agencies, public representative, freedom fighters, journalists and students. But there is no room for the pregnant and lactating women. On the other hand, if anyone starts the registration process in citizen category pregnant women are barred while they select ‘pregnant’ option.
The coronavirus pandemic left senior people and expectant women amid grave risk. When the vaccine was authorized for emergency use pregnant women and older people were added to the priority list apart from the front liners.
National Advisory Committee of the Directorate General of Health Services approved the inoculation on expectant and lactating mother. The committee took the decision considering the health risks of these women.
Chairman of Obstetrical and Gynecological Society of Bangladesh (OGSB) Professor Doctor Ferdousi Begum says, many western countries including the US, UK and Canada gave permission to kick off the jab among pregnant women.
“WHO approved five vaccines where they mentioned to inoculate pregnant. But they cannot register in Bangladesh. The Shurokkha ‘pregnant’ bar is yet to be lifted. Our organisation gave proposal to the health ministry to include the category of pregnant and lactating mother,” Ferdousi Begum said.
But Additional DG of the health department and Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) director Dr Meerjady Sabrina Flora said, “Pregnant will come to the priority list. WHO said, they don’t have adequate information to inoculate pregnant. So, if anyone wants to get the shot, they have to do it in own responsibility.”
She said, there was still no option like ‘pregnant’. It has been lifted.
However, The Report found the option still in the government website.
