Hundreds of pregnant women in Quebec are infected with COVID-19 due to low vaccination coverage.

Hundreds of pregnant women in Montreal-Quebec are infected with COVID-19, and doctors say they are worried because the population appears to have low vaccination coverage.

“I think pregnancy adds another layer of fear to women-and uncertainty. They’re trying to make the best decisions, but there’s a lot of false information out there, and that’s a big problem.” Explained Dr. Robbie Shear, director of obstetrics. Gynecology department of Jewish General Hospital.

She said she spends a lot of time convincing women that vaccination with COVID-19 is far more dangerous than the potential side effects of the vaccine.

“I talk to pregnant women all day about vaccination. I will do my best to convince them,” she said. “Sometimes, I feel like that again and again by blowing hot air.”

The Quebec Obstetricians and Gynecologists Association (AOGQ) states that it has identified at least 900 COVID-19 cases in pregnant women so far.

“Public health hasn’t released any data yet, but I think we can estimate about twice as much data as the state as a whole,” said Alix Chartrand, an organization spokesman.

Institut Nationaldesanté publique du Québec (INSPQ) said that as of October 5, a total of 27,215 COVID-19 vaccinations have been given to future mothers since the start of the campaign.

That is, the first dose of 15,556 vaccines was given to pregnant women, and the second dose of 11,645 doses was given.

According to the Quebec Institute of Statistics, in 2020, 81,850 babies born in Quebec, was born baby of 84,300 people in 2019.

Shear roughly estimates that less than 50 percent are vaccinated against fatal illnesses, based on the number of pregnant women she sees each day.

“Many of them tell me,’I don’t know, I feel very uncomfortable, it’s new.’ There are many such comments,” he said. “Some people say,’I got infected with COVID-19 last year,’ so I don’t think I need to get it. [the vaccine] I recommend you to get it. “

One-sided fear

Shear emphasizes that there is a mountain of evidence that catching COVID-19 is far more dangerous for both mothers and babies.

“There is a significant increase in hospitalization, ICU admission, death and preterm birth in women infected with COVID-19,” she said. “We saw it in Jews [General Hospital].. In Quebec there is no maternal deaths, but There are a large number of patients in the ICU. “

Sheer recalls treating an unvaccinated mother who was forced to give birth by an emergency caesarean section during the 30th week of pregnancy (about 7 months).

“Currently, her baby is in the NICU in the incubator. If she had been vaccinated, all of this would have been prevented,” she said.

Sheer said many of the pregnant women she speaks are more afraid of vaccines that have been scientifically proven to be safer than both COVID-19 and preterm birth.

“To me infected with COVID-19, there was a patient who broke the water at 25 weeks. [gestation], “She said.

Shear recalled the case of another woman who was forced to give birth, this time near the end of her pregnancy, when she tested positive for COVID-19.

While children’s parents had not received the both vaccination, baby was negative at the time of birth.

“But then the baby had to get COVID-19 from his parents and be admitted to the Montreal Children’s Hospital,” Sheer said.

Prevention and responsibility

Side effects of vaccination COVID-19 is the same as the general public even in pregnant women. Up to 24 hours after inoculation, arm pain, muscle pain, headache, is such as malaise.

“Other rare and rare side effects are very rare,” sheer points out, providing new evidence that protective antibodies have been found in cord blood, providing neonatal protection against the virus. I added.

She states that vaccination not only protects mothers and babies, but is also socially responsible.

“It’s for the greater benefit of the community, and we’ve seen cases where unvaccinated people infect other vulnerable people,” she said. “It’s selfish to think only about yourself in this context. I don’t think that not being vaccinated will affect others. It’s a kind of selfishness.”

AOGQ will publish a complete report on the number of women infected with COVID-19 at the end of November.