PUTRAJAYA: As the number of Covid-19 maternal deaths increases, the Health Ministry has called on more pregnant women in Malaysia to get vaccinated.

       Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said based on the ministry’s estimation, only 40% of pregnant women in the country had registered for vaccination on MySejahtera.

       “This is still low. Pregnant mothers are at risk of contracting severe Covid-19.

       “It is vital for them to get vaccinated to avoid complications brought on by the infection.

       “Husbands must support their partners and get them vaccinated. Get it done before they enter the final phase of pregnancy,” he said this in his daily Covid-19 statement yesterday.

       Dr Noor Hisham said as of Aug 8, 146,759 pregnant women had registered for the Covid-19 vaccine on MySejahtera.

       Of that, 57% (83,251) have received at least one dose while 20% are now fully vaccinated.

       “Pregnant women who have yet to receive an appointment can contact the nearest health clinic to expedite the process,” he said.

       Since the pandemic began, Malaysia has recorded 70 cases of maternal deaths due to Covid-19.

       Dr Noor Hisham said 17 of the deaths occurred from June this year when the numbers began to surge.

       “Data shows that of the 17 maternal deaths reported from June this year, 15 cases involved unvaccinated people. Another two cases had only received one dose.

       “About 47% of those patients had some form of comorbidity,” he said.

       Dr Noor Hisham said between March 2020 and June this year, a total of 3,396 pregnant women had been infected with Covid-19.

       “The Health Ministry views the matter of Covid-19 infection among pregnant women seriously. This is a high-risk group who is vulnerable to getting severe infection alongside the elderly and individuals with comorbidities.

       “According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), pregnant women are at higher risk of getting severe Covid-19 infection and requiring admission to Intensive Care Units (ICU) and ventilation compared to non-pregnant women.

       “Severe Covid-19 infections often occur in the second and third trimesters,” said Dr Noor Hisham.

       Yesterday, Malaysia recorded 20,780 new cases of Covid-19 -- its second highest daily figure just behind the 20,889 cases recorded on Aug 6.

       Dr Noor Hisham said 98% of the cases were either mild or asymptomatic.

       Eight states recorded more than 1,000 cases - Selangor (6,921), Kuala Lumpur (2,065), Johor (1,693), Kedah (1,534), Sabah (1,514), Penang (1,385), Kelantan (1,284) and Negri Sembilan (1,015).

       Another 211 people in Malaysia died from Covid-19, taking the country’s death toll to 11,373.

       There were 17,973 patients who were discharged yesterday.

       Currently, there are 233,358 active Covid-19 cases nationwide with 1,053 patients in intensive care units and 546 needing ventilator support.