A Consultant Obstetrician at the National Maternity Hospital is urging unvaccinated pregnant women to get the jab against Covid-19 after unvaccinated mothers continue being sent for ventilation and ICU care weekly.
Dr Declan Kane has said that he has “sadly” sent two unvaccinated pregnant mothers to a general hospital so far this weekend.
He took to Twitter to beg pregnant women to receive the jab, saying: “It doesn’t have to be this way - please get vaccinated.”
In total, at least 16 pregnant women have been sent to ICU with Covid so far in 2021 - and ten of these mothers were ventilated.
The HSE has revealed that none of the pregnant women who were admitted to ICU with Covid-19 this summer and autumn were fully vaccinated.
None of the expecting mothers had received a dose at all, bar one woman who had received a first dose.
Seven babies have been born in intensive care units between January and August of this year.
Obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Cliona Murphy replied to Dr Kane and said she has aslo continued transferring pregnant women to ICU.
“Covid rooms (are) full again. Extra staff required,” she said.
She works in the Coombe Hospital in Dublin and has previously told RTE’s Morning Ireland programme that pregnant women are being admitted to ICU for Covid-19 weekly.
“People think the pandemic is over, it's not over. It's not over for this subset of the population," she said.
She added that some women think they are doing the right thing by waiting to get the vaccine until after having their baby, but getting sick from catching the virus poses a great risk to their unborn babies.
The HSE has urged women to get their jabs between 14 and 36 weeks of pregnancy.
Meanwhile, from November 1 all maternity hospitals will be lifting visiting restrictions and allowing nominated support partners to inpatient areas.
