The 90% project: 'Terrifying' hospitalisation changed pregnant Hawke's Bay woman's vaccine stance

The 90% Project is an NZ Herald initiative that aims to reach all New Zealanders to get the word out about vaccination so we can save lives and restore freedoms. Video / NZ Herald

Nikki Hill had to fight for her life before she changed her mind about getting the Covid vaccine.

Hill, 33, of Napier, is 25 weeks pregnant with twins, and working as a nurse at Ryman's Princess Alexandra Retirement Village.

"I was quite hesitant to get the vaccine, because of my pregnancy and I went through a long process of IVF to get here," Hill said.

"[I felt] there hadn't been enough research done on the impact of the vaccine on pregnancy, and it was a relatively new vaccine."

But at 14 weeks pregnant, she found herself in the emergency department of Hawke's Bay Hospital for a chest infection that turned septic.

"The hospital admission changed my mind.

"The doctors were worried because the chest infection turned into sepsis quite quickly. I had a temperature of 39.3C and a heart rate of 170.

"They put me straight away in a resuscitation room as they thought I was heading that way. It was terrifying."

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She said she'd had chest infections previously, but nothing as bad as that.

"I was in the hospital for three days, then ordered to stay on bed rest at home for two weeks. It completely wiped me out.

"My midwife had warned me that if I get respiratory illness I would be quite badly off.

"I realised that if I got Covid I might die."

Hill said it was then and there she decided to go ahead with the vaccine, but unfortunately, she couldn't get it straight away.

"Unfortunately, as soon as I recovered, I got the stomach bug. After I recovered from that I had to get the whooping cough vaccine."

Which meant waiting again, and she finally managed to get her first Covid vaccine dose at Stortford Lodge Pharmacy on September 25.

"It was easy. I went and got the shot, no side effects apart from a sore arm."

Nikki Hill is encouraging other women to get vaccinated even if they are pregnant. Photo / Warren Buckland

Hill said respiratory illnesses are "no joke" and she wished she had heeded her midwife's warning that she could die if she contracted Covid while unvaccinated.

"I thought if my reaction to a chest infection was that bad, I would probably be on a ventilator if I got Covid so I'm not going to wait to be vaccinated.

"I thought she was being a little bit over the top at the time, but now I'm very convinced.

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"During pregnancy your immunity is low and if you get Covid while pregnant it's likely to hit you harder."

The Ministry of Health's advice is for all pregnant women to get the Covid vaccine - there are no additional health or safety concerns.

The vaccine is safe to get at any stage of the pregnancy and that there's evidence infants can get antibodies to the virus through cord blood and breast milk.