Unvaccinated Pregnant Mom, Unborn Baby Die Of COVID-19

A seven-month pregnant nurse who had not been vaccinated, along with her unborn child, died from complications related to COVID-19.

Haley Richardson worked at Ascension Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola, AL as a labor and delivery nurse. She lived in Theodore with his husband Jordan Richardson and two-year-old daughter, Katie.

Haley was scheduled to give birth in November, and the couple planned to name their second child Ryleigh Beth.

In late July, Haley contracted COVID-19 and was admitted to the hospital in early August. Her symptoms worsened and she was later moved to the ICU, WKRG reported.

Haley was almost seven months pregnant when she was hospitalized. Sadly, due to complications caused by COVID-19, she lost her unborn child on August 18. Two days later, the Alabama mom passed away, just three weeks after contracting the virus.

According to Jordan, his wife was unvaccinated because they were planning to have a second baby and was worried about the possible complications it may cause.

"We were just worried that there may be complications from that standpoint with having a baby and once she was pregnant, so she was not vaccinated," Jordan told WKRG.

Jordan is now urging others to get vaccinated, so other families don't experience the same pain.

As of August 14, 76.2% of expectant mothers in U.S. remain unvaccinated. Like Hayley, most of their concerns are about the vaccine's potential effects on their unborn babies, a report from Bloomberg noted.

Doctors have come across many pregnant women who are misinformed or fear the unknown about the vaccine. Unwillingness to take COVID-19 shots has been prevalent among the pregnant because they are not included in clinical trials. This is despite recent studies showing no increased health risk from the vaccine.

In a joint statement by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and other health groups, experts have strongly urged all pregnant individuals to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

"With cases rising as a result of the Delta variant, the best way for pregnant individuals to protect themselves against the potential harm from COVID-19 infection is to be vaccinated," the statement said.