PORTLAND, Ore. (KPTV) – On Wednesday the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) issued an urgent health advisory recommending that those who are pregnant get vaccinated against COVID-19.
According to CDC data, 31% of pregnant people have been vaccinated against the virus.
Oregon Health and Science University’s Medical Director of Labor and Delivery, Dr. Amy Hermesch says most if not all pregnant women she’s seeing with severe COVID-19 are not vaccinated against the virus.
“Pregnant women who have COVID and especially severe COVID disease are at higher risk of adverse outcomes,” Dr. Hermesch said. “They’re at a high risk of being placed in the Intensive Care Unit, of needing invasive ventilation and they’re at a high risk of having adverse outcomes to the pregnancy.”
Dr. Hermesch says that means an increased risk of pre-term delivery and potential risk of still birth.
She strongly recommends the COVID-19 vaccine for all of her patients.
“A lot of women are confused, it’s hard to understand which information is correct and which is not,” Dr. Hermesch said. “There’s a lot of ways that they can get information on the Internet, social media and from family members. And so really I just try to understand where their concerns are and most pregnant women just want what’s best for their baby. And I say the best thing you can do for your baby is to get vaccinated against COVID.”
Portland mom Allie Maestas says at six months pregnant she got vaccinated against COVID-19.
“I wanted to do my best as a mother to do everything I can to protect my son,” Maestas said.
Her son Jameson she says is now 3 months old.
“Especially knowing that there isn’t currently a vaccine for babies and young children, I thought this would be the best way to get him the protection that I could,” Maestas said.
She says she, her husband and son are all healthy and have not tested positive for COVID.
Dr. Hermesch says she tries to reassure her patients about getting the vaccine, when they have a lot of fear and emotion around this decision.
Maestas says it was a no brainer.
“Everyone’s out there doing their best you know you don’t know what’s going to be right, what’s going to be you know wrong but you’re just doing what you can what you feel is right to protect your family,” Maestas said.
Dr. Hermesch says there are several vaccines that have been recommended during pregnancy like the pertussis and flu vaccines to protect those who are pregnant and their babies.
She says the COVID-19 vaccine is another example.
FOX 12 also received several messages from pregnant mothers who said they were not going to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
