The CDC issued an emergency health alert recommending pregnant patients get vaccinated, and Kansas City OB-GYNs echo the urgency.
Maternal deaths have increased nearly 30% this year, according to Dr. Kevin Ault, an OB-GYN practitioner at the University of Kansas Health System.
"That's just the tip of the iceberg," Ault said, adding that severe fetal complications are also a risk.
"Most of the news is bad the more we learn about pregnancy and this particular virus," Ault said. "It seems like it gets worse every week."
St. Luke's OB-GYN Dr. Rebecca Hamel is in her third trimester and understands the concern patients have about getting vaccinated.
"But if you're worried about complications, vaccination is safer hands down than risking COVID-19 infection during pregnancy," Hamel said.
- Dr. Rebecca Hamel, OBGYN, St. Luke’s Women’s Health North
- Dr. Kevein Ault, OBGYN, University of Kansas Health System and member of CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices
