S Korea to give jabs to mums-to-be

SEOUL: South Korea will begin taking reservations for coronavirus vaccines from pregnant women this week as the country accelerates its inoculation drive to reach its goal for immunising 80% of all adults by the end of the month.

Health authorities see pregnant mothers as key to the campaign and sought to drum up participation through public notices and news conferences saying they have a greater possibility of serious illness and death if infected with Covid-19.

Pregnant women are eligible to sign up for a shot starting Friday, for inoculation set to begin on Oct 18 using Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).

“The vaccines are safe for pregnant women and can meaningfully decrease their risks of contracting Covid-19 and becoming critically ill,” KDCA director Jeong Eun-kyeong told a public briefing on Monday.

Of the 731 pregnant women infected with the virus in South Korea as of August, about 2% of them developed serious illnesses, more than six times that of women aged 20-45, according to the KDCA. But officials have advised people with shorter than 12 weeks pregnancy to consult medical staff before getting a shot.

Around 63% of adults in the country were fully vaccinated as of Tuesday, and authorities aim to complete vaccination for 80% of all adults by the end of October.