Daily Times

PESHAWAR: The health of women and their babies is at high risk fromtetanus if they are not administered Tetanus Toxide (TT) vaccines from pregnancy till childbirth, medical experts say.

Tetanus is a bacterial disease of the nervous system. Muscles usuallybecome uncontrollable and rigid as a result of the disease. Symptoms of tetanus include fever, difficulty swallowing, musclespasms of the jaw called trismus, pain in the neck, back andshoulders, high blood pressure and irregular heartbeats. In severecases, tetanus can result in coma and death too, medical experts say.

Imtiaz, a technician of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation, at the civil dispensary in Asiya Gate locality, told Daily Times that theyadministered Tetanus Toxide (TT) vaccines to women till childbirth. And

after childbirth, the baby is administered Penta1, Penta1, Penta3 andMeasles1 and Measles2 vaccines to save the child from variousdiseases.

Imtiaz also said that there was more vaccination for a pregnant womanbut that was available at private facilities as its cost was high.

However, there is misconception amongwomen that they should avoidvaccination during pregnancy.

“We usually avoid giving medications to pregnant women because toomuch medicine can affect the foetus. However, they should not avoidvaccination as it is necessary for both the child and mother,” said Dr Nasreen,Assistant Director of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation.

She also said that once infected, a pregnant woman could be treated fortetanus but there were high chances of losing her child.

She also said that a pregnant woman needed to be given TT-1vaccine at first, TT-2 four weeks after the first vaccine, TT-3 sixweeks after TT-2, TT-4 a year later and TT-5 after a year ofthe last vaccine.

When asked if they administer all vaccines to the visitors at the healthfacilities, she said that most women stopped visiting the health facilitiesafter they give birth to their child and during their pregnancy tillchildbirth they only get vaccinated wit TT-1 and TT-2.