The latest Covid updates make sense of the headlines and the global response.
The latest news from the Pandemic.
The pregnant women come last.
The risks for pregnant women are increased by the omicron variant.
Left out of early vaccine trials and faced with confusing messages and misinformation on the dangers of their unborn children, a disproportionately large number of pregnant women have steered clear of Covid shots. More than 75% of expectant mothers in the U.K. and more than 50% in the U.S. are unvaccinated, making them at risk of contracting the disease as it sweeps the globe.
Figures published last week show that at least 17 pregnant women and four babies have died from Covid-19 in England. 98% of pregnant women admitted to intensive care were unvaccinated. One in five Covid patients receiving treatment in England through a special lung-bypass machine was an unvaccinated expectant mother.
A nurse helps a pregnant woman.
Chris Whitty, the U.K.'s chief medical adviser, told lawmakers in December that the low number of pregnant women taking the vaccine has led to serious harm. There is a period of vulnerability during pregnancy. We should have made it clear earlier on.
Take Antonia. The lawyer got her first jab before she was pregnant but struggled with her second jab after she gave birth. She got the shot with a lot of apprehension because the vaccine centers didn't have reassuring answers to her questions.
Antonia, who is having her second child and doesn't want to reveal her last name, canceled her vaccinations many times because she was so nervous. I thought, "It's not my life here, it's somebody else's life I'm making decisions about."
When women weren't included in clinical trials, many maternal-care specialists saw the problem coming.
One drugmaker tried. Pfizer started a mid-stage study in pregnant women in February and advanced-stage testing in June. The trial was halted because of low participation and the ethical dilemma of giving placebos to expectant mothers.
Peter Marks, head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, says that if the agency could start over, it would do things differently.
Marks said in an interview that a trial in pregnant women could have started if we weren't in a "all-out" mode. Marks said he would likely start a test for pregnant women within a few months after the safety data from the trials came in.
Ask us anything.
We want to know what you need to know. So ask us. If you have a question you'd like us to answer, please get in touch here or via CovidQs@bloomberg.net.
What should you read?
Do you know someone who would like this newsletter?
If you have any questions, concerns, or news tips, please contact us.
You can get unlimited access to trusted, data-based journalism in 120 countries around the world by signing up for the newsletter.
