BANGOR, Maine — As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continue to urge pregnant women to get the COVID-19 vaccine, physicians are backing up this sense of urgency.
Dr. Paul Smith, Bangor OB/GYN owner and physician, said unvaccinated pregnant women and their unborn babies are at a greater risk for severe illness.
“Women who are exposed to the Delta variant get sicker. Pregnant women get sicker. And they are more at risk for hospitalization, and they are more at risk for long haul disease," Dr. Smith said.
Dr. Smith said he and his entire family made the choice to get vaccinated, and he encourages all of his patients to do so.
"If you were my family member, if you were my pregnant daughter, I would say do this," Dr. Smith said.
Brunswick mom-to-be Ashton Rego said she was first eligible to receive the vaccine during her first trimester. After some research and consulting her doctors and other professionals in the health care field, she decided to get the vaccine. Now nearly 39 weeks pregnant, Rego said she wouldn't change a thing about her decision.
"I would do it like a thousand times over you know if they told me, 'Oh you need a booster tomorrow,' before my delivery in the next couple weeks, I absolutely would do it again," Rego said.
Meanwhile, Nina Milliken is a high school teacher in Blue Hill and almost 28 weeks pregnant. Milliken said getting the vaccine was as much about protecting her unborn baby as it was to protect her two other children who are not yet eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
"I'm excited about the fact that this baby at least will likely have some level immunity against COVID-19," said Milliken.
Milliken said she trusts the health care professionals encouraging vaccinations and the latest research that shows the vaccine is safe for expecting mothers.
"I understand the hesitancy to get vaccinated, but it seems to me at this point that all the research is indicating that COVID is a much more dangerous situation for pregnant women and unborn babies than the vaccine is," Milliken said.