NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A vaccine clinic for pregnant women opened Monday at Ascension Saint Thomas Midtown.
Kayla Yun said she got the shot for her baby girl. "It was very easy to sign up, I signed up in less than 5 minutes," Yun said. "Other expectant mothers I just want to say don’t be nervous because it is very nerve-racking. There are a lot of questionable things with studies since we weren’t included, but I did a lot of research before I came here today, and definitely, the benefits outweigh the risks."
She hopes she can share antibodies with her baby through breastfeeding. "Just that chance of giving your babies antibodies so they have a better chance of fighting it, and also for the moms themselves, I have asthma and it’s very scary just thinking what if something happens to me, and I can’t be there for her," Yun said.
A local doctor said they didn’t want history to repeat itself as they were scared to vaccinate pregnant women with H1N1. “We felt like during the influenza pandemic we kind of excluded women, and then go back and say 'oh no that was the wrong decision,' Women were more vulnerable, they were more likely to have severe problems, and even more likely to die," Dr. Cornelia Graves said.
Graves has treated dozens of pregnant patients with COVID-19. In some cases, they had to deliver babies early. "Women who are pregnant are three times more likely to end up in the hospital," Graves said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has hundreds of pregnant women on a vaccine registry to track how they're doing, and early data is promising. "We’ve had some patients who’ve had their vaccines, and we know their babies are doing well," Graves said.
Yun looks forward to welcoming her little girl into the world, and being inoculated. "It’s definitely the best decision to protect yourself,” Yun said.
They plan on keeping the clinic small so expectant moms can stay socially distance, and not be scared of a large crowd. You can sign up here.
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