Dr. Thomas Dobbs speaks during a House Homeland Security Subcommittee hearing in Washington, D.C., on March 10, 2020. Photo: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images
At least eight pregnant women in Mississippi, who weren't fully vaccinated, have died of COVID-19 since late July, CNN reports.
Why it matters: The eight pregnant women who have died from the virus more than doubles the state's pandemic total in just two months.
The big picture: Doctors recommend pregnant women get vaccinated due to the rise of the highly contagious Delta variant.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that pregnant or breastfeeding women get vaccinated against COVID-19 because pregnant people face an increased risk of developing a severe illness from COVID-19.
- The CDC said that COVID-19 deaths in pregnant women in the U.S. appear to have ticked up in August, per CNN. Nationally, 155 deaths of pregnant women with confirmed lab evidence of COVID-19 were reported since the start of the pandemic.
- Only about 25.1% of pregnant women age 18 to 49 in the US had received at least one dose of a vaccine during pregnancy as of Sept. 17, according to the CDC.
What they're saying: "Please get vaccinated," Dr. Thomas Dobbs, the Mississippi's medical officer, said at one of two news conferences this month that addressed the topic. "You've got to protect yourself; you've got to protect your baby."