Local expectant mothers react to CDC guidance to get vaccine

GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are now urging all pregnant women to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

This comes as hospitals around the country see increasing numbers of unvaccinated mothers-to-be seriously ill with the virus, along with hospitalizations and deaths driven by the highly contagious delta variant.

The CDC said Expectant mothers run a higher risk of severe illness and pregnancy complications from the coronavirus, including miscarriages and stillbirths.

Kerianne Crockett, an OBGYN at Vidant Health said it can also cause respiratory illnesses specifically and a number of full body systemic illnesses.

Katie Haddock knows these complication all too well, after getting covid-19 while pregnant.

Now, after saying she wasn’t getting the vaccine at all, she changed her mind to get it after her baby boy is born.

The CDC says about 23% of pregnant women have gotten at least one dose of the vaccine.

But some other expecting mothers disagree with getting the vaccine while pregnant.

Health experts say, the vaccine could be the best option to prevent serious illness if you contract the virus while pregnant.

Experts say if you are pregnant and have questions about getting the vaccine, you should always talk to your doctor.

A new CDC analysis of new safety data on 2,500 women showed no increased risks of miscarriage for those who received at least one dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine before 20 weeks of pregnancy.

The analysis found a miscarriage rate of around 13%, within the normal range.

Around 105,000 pregnant U.S. women have been infected with COVID-19, and almost 18,000 have been hospitalized, according to the CDC. About one-fourth of those received intensive care and 124 died.

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