President Biden is pushing businesses to get their workers vaccinated against COVID-19, and he’s not alone. Healthcare providers at UAB are advising pregnant women to get their shots as soon as possible. Alabama continues to be one of the lowest vaccinated states in the nation. The delta variant continues to spread and pregnant women are a health risk for themselves and their babies.
Dr. Audra Williams is a medical professional with UAB. She says the statistics for pregnant women are low nationwide.
“Unfortunately the numbers of vaccinations are still quite low in our pregnant population. Less than 25 percent of pregnant women across the nation have received at least one dose. Those numbers are even lower in African Americans and are only about 10 percent.”
As the pandemic continues, Williams encourages expecting mothers to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
Pregnant women are significantly less likely to get vaccinated against Covid-19 in Alabama. The concern is that a low vaccination rate could also lead to complications for deliveries. UAB’s August COVID inpatient numbers included thirty-nine unvaccinated pregnant women. Ten were in ICUs and seven were on ventilators.
Dr. Jessica Grayson is a medical professional with UAB who was vaccinated during her pregnancy. She says it’s important that mothers and their babies survive the pandemic together.
“I think we have seen all too well how risky Covid is in pregnancy and it is not worth the risk of leaving your children. There are too many mothers who will never meet their babies because of Covid and there are too many babies who will not meet their mom.”
Grayson recommends pregnant women to get vaccinated as soon as possible. She experienced mild symptoms from her shots which included a sore arm and headache.
