UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital to host vaccine clinic for pregnant women
Pregnant women in the region will be able to get a covid vaccine next week at a clinic at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital in Oakland.
“Getting a vaccine as early as you can in the pregnancy is good,” said Dr. Richard Beigi, the hospital’s president.
Beigi said the clinic, set up for Wednesday, is the first of its kind in the region and one of the first in the country. It will be held in the hospital auditorium.
More than 60,000 pregnant women have received the vaccine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Pregnancy is a high-risk condition under phase 1A of Pennsylvania’s vaccine distribution plan.
How far along a woman is should not be an issue, Beigi said. The risk of contracting covid-19 is the same throughout the nine months, he said.
Studies have proven that women who are pregnant are more likely to be hospitalized if they contract the coronavirus, and more likely to end up in the intensive care unit and on a ventilator if they’re hospitalized.
A Tribune-Review story discussed the importance of pregnant women being included in vaccines trials. Beigi is a strong proponent of that. He said pregnant women get flu shots and both the flu and covid-19 vaccines are non-live vaccines.
“There is a robust track record of flu vaccines not harming pregnant women or their babies,” Beigi said.
He said a woman should check with her doctor if she has a question or is unsure.
UPMC plans to host additional clinics, he said. The hospital will have access to both Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines.
“We will manage the demand,” he said. “We obviously can’t do them all at one time.”
The clinic is for outpatients, but Beigi said they will consider including hospitalized patients. If a woman receives her first vaccine and is in the hospital delivering a baby when she is scheduled to have the second shot, the hospital will make sure she gets it, he said.
“It is important for pregnant women to get fully immunized,” Beigi said. “We are offering this to women who want this so that by getting vaccinated they can rest a little more easily.”
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JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region's diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of "A Daughter's Promise." She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
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