"Worried About Side Effects"... Unvaccinated Pregnant Woman in the US Dies Along with Fetus

US Pregnant Women Vaccination Rate Only 23.8%
CDC "Vaccine Safe for Pregnant Women"

US medical staff caring for a critically ill patient diagnosed with COVID-19 / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] In the United States, where the Delta variant is spreading, a tragic incident occurred in which a pregnant woman infected with the COVID-19 virus died along with her unborn child.

According to local U.S. media such as Newsweek on the 24th (local time), Haley Richardson (32), a nurse working at a hospital in Pensacola, Florida, was diagnosed with COVID-19 and her health rapidly deteriorated, eventually leading to her death.

At the time of her death, she was seven months pregnant, and the fetus also passed away without ever seeing the light of the world, alongside the mother.

Richardson was diagnosed with COVID-19 at the end of last month. Her symptoms rapidly worsened, and although she was admitted to the intensive care unit and received treatment, she died in the third week.

It was confirmed that Richardson was not vaccinated. Her husband, Jordan, said, "After my wife planned to have a second child, she did not get vaccinated," adding, "She was worried about the side effects the vaccine might have on the fetus."

He continued, "I hope others do not suffer the same pain as I have," urging pregnant women to get vaccinated.

As the Delta variant spreads rapidly in the U.S., cases of pregnant women dying after being infected with the virus, like the Richardson family, have been increasing recently.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently expressed concern over the low vaccination rates among pregnant women and is recommending immunization. / Photo by Twitter Capture

Earlier, in Texas, a pregnant woman in her 30s named Paige Lewis, who contracted COVID-19, died after giving birth. Lewis, who tested positive on the 24th of last month, delivered her daughter via cesarean section but died due to complications from COVID-19.

In Florida, earlier this month, two unvaccinated pregnant women infected with COVID-19 gave birth and subsequently died.

As deaths among pregnant women increased, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a statement on the 11th urging pregnant women to get vaccinated.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky emphasized in the statement, "The highly contagious Delta variant is causing severe situations among unvaccinated pregnant women," and stressed, "Vaccines are safe and effective protection for pregnant women."

Director Walensky cited CDC research data showing that pregnant women infected with COVID-19 are much more likely to experience severe illness compared to the general population. She pointed out that the miscarriage rate among women who received at least one dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine is within the normal range, and that infection with COVID-19 during pregnancy increases the risk of preterm birth, which can endanger the fetus.

However, many pregnant women worry about the effects of the vaccine on the fetus, resulting in a very low vaccination rate among pregnant women in the U.S. According to CDC statistics, only 23.8% of pregnant women in the U.S. have been vaccinated.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.