Windsor Regional Hospital is encouraging women who are pregnant or have recently given birth and are breastfeeding to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
Dr. Gregory Hasen, Chief of Obstetrics for Windsor Regional Hospital, says with the COVID-19 variants, there is greater morbidity amongst pregnant women versus non-pregnant, and greatest in the third trimester.
"Ideally to be effectively immunized you really need to two doses and be 14 days past the second dose," he continued. "Ideally you want to get it in the first and second trimester before getting into the third trimester. But we don't think there's anytime that's too late."
He also says they have seen more hospital admissions for women with COVID with the Delta variant than a year ago with the Alpha variant.
"Compared to non-pregnant women with COVID-19, pregnant women, especially with the Delta variant and the new variants, seem to be at a much greater of admission to hospital, to critical care including requiring invasive ventilation."
Hasen says that during the first year of the pandemic, there wasn't anyone who was pregnant that was severely sick with COVID-19.
"I know of at least five or six cases in Toronto since April of pregnant women in the ICU on ventilators. The Delta variant is much worse and usually in the third trimester it can lead to lead to pre-term delivery and then you've go the risk to the fetus now of prematurity as well," Hasen says.
A release from the hospital states "a series of studies published in August from scientists around the world are adding to the growing body of evidence that those who are pregnant or breastfeeding can pass on high levels of valuable antibodies against COVID-19 to their babies through vaccination and natural immunity, potentially protecting their infants from the disease."