From the article:
Last Wednesday 20 February, a committee advising the Congolese Ministry of Health made the decision to provide the Ebola vaccine to pregnant and breastfeeding women, as well as babies under one year old, in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). In a policy U-turn, the decision was also backed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) based on the advice of an independent advisory body ― the strategic advisory group of experts on immunization (SAGE).
Current WHO estimates place the number of Ebola cases in the DRC at 853 and there have been 521 deaths since the beginning of the outbreak in August 2018. The outbreak is worsened by ongoing armed conflict in the North Kivu Province.
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Advocates for vaccinating pregnant women against Ebola have long argued that under the given circumstances, the potential benefits far outweigh the potential harm. Moreover, unless the vaccine is actually given to pregnant women, there will be no data to determine whether it is safe or not. This knowledge would also be beneficial in future outbreaks, according to a statement given by Carleigh Krubiner, a policy fellow at the Center for Global Development.
Krubiner also added in her statement, “The DRC’s decision to extend Ebola vaccine coverage to pregnant women is a huge step forward, not only for pregnant women in areas affected by outbreaks but for all pregnant women who may face the threat of Ebola in the future.” The recent decision has been praised by many others as well, including Doctors Without Borders.
Vaccinated pregnant women in the DRC will be closely monitored until after they have given birth to determine whether the vaccine has any adverse effects. The panel of experts has also recommended including pregnant and breastfeeding women in trials of three other new experimental Ebola vaccines on at-risk populations in neighbouring areas.