Hancock County Health System issued the following announcement on October 01.
Hancock County Health System joins the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in recommending the COVID-19 vaccination among people who are pregnant, recently pregnant (including those who are lactating) and those who are trying to become pregnant now, or who might become pregnant in the future.
“People who are pregnant, including those who are recently pregnant are more likely to get severely ill with COVID-19 compared with non-pregnant people,” said Chelcee Schleuger, Director of HCHS Community Health. “It has been proven that the benefits of the vaccination far outweigh any known potential risks.”
As of September 27, more than 125,000 laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported in pregnant people, including more than 22,000 hospitalized cases and 161 deaths, Schleuger said.
Although the overall risk of severe illness is low, pregnant and recently pregnant people are at an increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19 when compared with non-pregnant people.
Severe illness includes illness that requires hospitalization, intensive care, need for a ventilator or special equipment to breathe, or illness that results in death. Additionally, pregnant people with COVID-19 are at increased risk of preterm birth and might be at increased risk of other adverse pregnancy outcomes, compared with pregnant women without COVID-19.
“Throughout the pandemic, there have been questions about administering the vaccine to pregnant people, people who are lactating, and people who wanted to become pregnant. We have gained knowledge through time and studies that better help us answer those questions,” said Laura Zwiefel, HCHS CEO/CNO.
COVID-19 Vaccinations including Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson and Johnson, are available at HCHS Community Health. Walk-in clinics, no appointment required, are from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. every Friday or by an appointment by calling: 641-923-3676.
Original source can be found here.
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