SEATTLE, Wash. – University of Washington Medicine is urging pregnant women to get vaccinated or a booster against COVID-19.
Dr. Kristina Adams Waldorf says the vaccines have been proven safe for pregnant women and the virus is a serious threat.
“We know that unvaccinated pregnant women have about a 22 times higher death rate than unvaccinated women as a result of the different waves of COVID-19 that we have seen so far,” said Waldorf.
She’s founded the “One Vax, Two Lives” campaign to counter what she says is rampant misinformation on social media that’s especially harmful to pregnant women.
“We’ve seen all kinds of myths and conspiracy theories about the COVID-19 vaccine,” said Waldorf. “Periods, fertility and outcomes in pregnancy, and they’re frankly not true.”
Figures from the CDC show that just 42% of pregnant women have been vaccinated, a number that drops to 38% and 27% for Latina and Black pregnant women respectively.
For more information, visit the UW Medicine website.