One of the largest reports on COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy bolsters evidence that it is safe although the authors say more comprehensive research is needed. The preliminary results are based on reports from over 35,000 U.S. women who received either the Moderna or Pfizer shots while pregnant. Their rates of miscarriage, premature births and other complications were comparable to those observed in published reports on pregnant women before the pandemic.
Washington state is doubling down on its COVID-19 vaccine ambitions as case counts rise and concerning coronavirus variants spread. Earlier this winter, the state was striving for 45,000 shots each day but is now aiming to administer 90,000 shots a day, provided the federal government can furnish enough supply. But reaching 90,000 shots a day could be a stiff challenge for vaccine providers. Though everyone 16 and older is now eligible for vaccination, and more than a third of Washingtonians have received at least one dose and demand is softening in some parts of the state.
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Pregnant women with COVID-19 20 times more likely to die, UW study finds
A worldwide study of 2,100 pregnant women shows that those who contracted COVID-19 during pregnancy were 20 times more likely to die than those who did not contract the virus, according to a new study led by UW Medicine and University of Oxford doctors.
The study, published Thursday in JAMA Pediatrics, looked at pregnant women from 43 maternity hospitals in 18 nations from all economic levels between April and August 2020.
“The No. 1 take-away from the research is that pregnant women are no more likely to get COVID-19, but if they get it, they are more likely to become very ill and more likely to require ICU care, ventilation, or experience preterm birth and preeclampsia,” said Dr. Michael Gravett, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Washington School of Medicine and one of study’s lead authors.
Gravett says he "highly" recommends pregnant women get a COVID-19 vaccine.
—Christine Clarridge
Ages 16 and over can get Pfizer shot at Tacoma Dome’s mass-vaccination site
hand sanitizer will be available at all entry points and more restroom signage promoting handwashing was added. (John Froschauer / The Associated Press, file)
Pierce County’s Department of Emergency Management is opening a mass-vaccination site at the Tacoma Dome for six weeks starting Tuesday, April 27, with the goal of getting at least 1,170 shots of the Pfizer vaccine into people's arms each day.
The site, which will have both drive-thru and walk-up access, will operate from noon to 8 p.m. each day, seven days a week except holidays, the county's emergency management department said.
Sixteen and 17-year-olds are eligible for the shots, but must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
To register for these events, go to FindYourCovidShot.com and pick the day to be vaccinated. For assistance signing up, call 253-798-8900.
—Christine Clarridge
Laos locks down capital over virus outbreak tied to Thailand
Laos locked down its capital and closed its international borders to most traffic Thursday after identifying a COVID-19 cluster connected to its bigger neighbor Thailand.
Residents of the capital Vientiane are barred from leaving the city and outsiders must get permission to enter. Its international borders were closed except to trucks carrying goods and in cases allowed by the nation’s COVID-19 taskforce, state news agency KPL reported.
The restrictions were reportedly ordered after 28 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed Wednesday. All of the cases were connected to Thailand, which is battling its worst wave of the disease, the Laos government said.
—The Associated Press
Burning Man mulling mandatory COVID-19 vaccines for August
Burning Man festival organizers have said that they are considering requiring attendees to prove they have been vaccinated for COVID-19 if the organizers move forward with plans to hold this year’s counter-culture festival in the Nevada desert.
The organizers backed off an earlier statement from Burning Man CEO Marian Goodell who said in a video message posted on the group’s web site on April 8 that “vaccines will be required to come to Burning Man.”
They say they won’t decide for sure until the end of the month whether the event that was canceled last year because of the pandemic will take place this summer.
—Scott Sonner, The Associated Press
