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a bid The IFP - Halton Hills | Thursday, November 25, OPINION “LET'S PROTECT OUR CHILDREN, AND OUR MOMS T0 BE PREGNANT WOMEN URGED T0 GET COVID-19 VACCINE, WRITES DR. NADIA ALAM Arecent CBC News article dis- cussed a B.C. couple with two young kids and a mom pregnant with a third. The family refused to get the AiHalton by email to budget@halton.ca. DR. NADIA ALAM Column = OVID-19 vaccine. Then their oldest child fell sick with a cough, fever, mild aches and pains. It spread oe both the husband and the p! wife, and they all tested rentive for COVID-19. “Back when | was pregnant, | worried how the decisions | made would impact my baby. | chose to get the COVID-19 vaccine so that my kids continue to have a healthy mom." _ The husband and child have red. But the preg- mom lies in a medic: ditch life support machine, fight- ing! for her life. is uncertain that she will Public Notice Halton Region 2022 Budget and Business Plan Halton Regional Council will review the Region's proposed 2022 Budget and Business Plan at the following meetings: + Regional Council Budget Meeting—Wednesday, December 8, 2021 at 9:30 a.m. + Regional Council—Wednesday, December 15, 2021 at 9:30 a.m. The meetings will take place through web conferencing available at halton.ca. The proposed 2022 Budget and Business Plan provides details supporting the Regional portion of the property tax levy, as well as the water and wastewater rate-supported budget. The document will be available on halton.ca as of November 26, 2021. Print copies are available upon request. Please email accesshalton@halton.ca or call 311. Halton residents are invited to provide input on the proposed 2022 Budget and Business Plan. If you wish to register as a delegate to address Regional Council at one of the meetings above, please call 311 or 1-866-442-5866. You may also submit input or comments The 2022 Budget and Business Plan is scheduled to be approved by Regional Council on December 15, 2021. survive to see her family again. To all women who are preg- nant, or are trying to get preg- nant, or are breastfeeding: as a mom myself, I'm asking you to get vaccinated. If women who are pregnant . A fine sessions. a family and retire. Help shape the future of waste management in Halton Public consultations are now underway for Halton Region's proposed Solid Waste Management Strategy. The proposed Strategy includes medium (four to 10 years) and long-term (11+ years) initiatives that will help the Region increase the waste diversion rate, extend the life of the landfill and reduce carbon emissions. Provide your input—visit halton.ca/waste to: + read the proposed Strategy; + complete our short online survey by December 10; and + participate in the final virtual Public Information Centre on November 30 or view a recording of the previous Thank you for your participation—your input is valuable and will help keep Halton a great place to live, work, raise Regional Chair Meetings at Halton Ri Regional Council meetings are taking place through web conferencing until further notice. Videos will be posted to halton.ca. & Please contact us, as soon as possible, if you have any accessibility needs at Halton Region events or meetings. catch COVID-19, which has con- tinued to spread | slowly and steadily through the community, they suffer worse consequences, They are five times more like- ly toend up in hospital, unable to recover at home like nonpreg- nant women. They are 10 times more likely to end up in ICU and more likely to end up on ventilators, fighting to stay alive. It doesn't end there. If a preg- nant woman manages to survive COVID-19, she may end up with prolonged or even disabling symptoms like fatigue, memory problems, generalized pain, sleep isturbances and mental health anxiety, depression issues like anxiet and PTSD. Sixty per cent of people who survived reported symptoms of long COVID-19 three months after they recovered, while 10 per cent still had them a year later. The vaccine is safe and it works — nearly 50,000 women who are pre; nant, or getting pregnant or breastfeeding, have demonstrated this. Despite the misinformation online, side effects are rare. Back when I was 1 worried how the decisions I made would impact my baby. I chose to get the COVID-19 vaccine so that my kids continue to have a healthy mom. When the COVID-19 vaccine is approved for kids aged 5 to 11 years old, I will stand in line with my four beautiful kids to protect them too. So, be a mama bear. Your kids need you. Nadia Alam is a Halton phy- sician and past president of the Ontario Medical Association. Her columns also appear on www.drnadiaalam.com. She can be reached through her website. BREAKING NEWS