Two-thirds of pregnant women in the United States have remained unvaccinated against COVID-19.
This is despite the fact that pregnant women are at a higher risk due to the fact that the effects of COVID-19 can be fatal to both mother and child.
The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have repeatedly assured expectant mothers that COVID-19 vaccines are safe. The CDC has also been encouraging pregnant women to get vaccinated.
Previous vaccine myths involving pregnancy and male and female fertility have already been debunked by experts.
Most Pregnant Women Remain Unvaccinated
Two-thirds of pregnant mothers in the US have not received their COVID-19 vaccines, according to a report by NPR. This is despite pregnant women being at higher risk of being infected by the virus that causes COVID-19.
Dr. Rebecca Wineland, the director of labor and delivery at the Medical University of South Carolina, has been cited by the NPR report, saying that "expecting mothers infected with the fast spreading Delta variant are at a greater risk for stillbirths, babies with restricted growth and pre-eclampsia."
Dr. Wineland also points out that expectant mothers who become infected with COVID-19 are twice as likely to end up in the ICU. The risk that they may lose their lives is at 70%.
The NPR report cites examples of pregnant women who chose not to be vaccinated but ended up getting infected. One such case resulted in the death of a mother after delivering her baby by C-section.
The mother had been placed on a ventilator, given a 10% chance of surviving, and eventually died less than a month later.
CDC Assures COVID-19 Vaccines are Safe
The CDC has repeatedly assured pregnant women that the available COVID-19 vaccines are safe for them to receive.
"CDC encourages all pregnant people or people who are thinking about becoming pregnant and those breastfeeding to get vaccinated to protect themselves from COVID-19," said CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky in a press release posted on the CDC's website.
In a separate post on its website, the CDC assures that the COVID-19 vaccines do not cause infection in pregnant women and their babies. The CDC also says that receiving the vaccine results in the building of antibodies that may protect babies.
The CDC's post also highlights how pregnant women who received mRNA vaccines during their pregnancy had a reduced risk for infection. mRNA COVID-19 vaccines include Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech.
Related Article : Claims on COVID-19 Vaccines' Danger on Placenta Are False But Babies Could Benefit From Vax [STUDY]
Experts have already debunked many COVID-19 vaccine myths in the last couple of months. According to a previous Tech Times article, there is "no evidence" that COVID-19 vaccines have an effect on pregnancy.
Experts have also already debunked the myth that COVID-19 vaccines have side effects on female or male fertility.
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Isabella James
