Mom Dies Of COVID-19 After Delaying Vaccine Shot Due To Breastfeeding

An unvaccinated mother in Utah has died of COVID-19 after she delayed getting her vaccine shots over concerns about breastfeeding.

Dezi Scopesi, 23, first tested positive for COVID-19 on Oct. 25. She later developed severe symptoms, including difficulty in breathing, and was admitted to the hospital on Oct. 29. Scopesi was initially given oxygen by nasal cannula before doctors increased the supplemental oxygen delivered via mask.

The young woman’s condition continued to worsen, leading doctors to intubate her on Nov. 3 and place her on ECMO five days later. She died on Dec. 2, according to the organizers of a GoFundMe page made to aid her family.

“It is with extremely heavy hearts that we let you all know … our sweet Dezi passed away on Thursday evening. We feel so much strength and comfort from the endless love and support we have received from all of you,” Lashae Steele, one of the organizers, wrote.

Scopesi was planning on getting vaccinated against COVID-19 but decided to delay the shot over concerns of the vaccine’s potential effects on her baby, whom she was breastfeeding. The couple’s one-year-old son, Leo, also tested positive for COVID-19 but had recovered without complication.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended COVID-19 vaccines for women who are pregnant, breastfeeding or looking to conceive in the future. In its guidelines, the agency noted that there is no scientific evidence that the vaccines cause fertility problems.

According to the CDC, studies have shown that COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective during pregnancy, adding that getting vaccinated outweighs the risk of getting infected.

“People who are pregnant or recently pregnant are more likely to get severely ill with Covid-19 compared with people who are not pregnant. Getting a Covid-19 vaccine can help protect you from severe illness from Covid-19,” the CDC said.

Scopesi was one of the many Utah residents to have died of COVID-19 in recent weeks. The state’s Department of Health on Tuesday reported 1,122 new infections and 11 COVID-19 deaths. The figures bring Utah’s total toll to 606,531 cases and 3,606 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.