The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

in si de ha lto n. co m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, N ov em be r 25 ,2 02 1 | 38 A recent CBC News arti- cle discussed a B.C. couple with two young kids and a mom pregnant with a third. The family refused to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Then their oldest child fell sick with a cough, fever, mild aches and pains. It spread to both the husband and the pregnant wife, and they all tested positive for CO- VID-19. The husband and child have since recovered. But the pregnant mom lies in a medically induced coma on ECMO, a last-ditch life sup- port machine, fighting for her life. It is uncertain that she will survive to see her fami- ly again. To all women who are pregnant, or are trying to get pregnant, or are breast- feeding: as a mom myself, I'm asking you to get vacci- nated. If women who are preg- nant catch COVID-19, which has continued to spread slowly and steadily through the community, they suffer worse consequences. They are five times more likely to end up in hospital, unable to recover at home like nonpregnant 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 pregnant woman manages to survive COVID-19, she may end up with prolonged or even disabling symptoms like fatigue, memory prob- lems, generalized pain, sleep disturbances and mental health issues like anxiety, depression and PTSD. Sixty per cent of people who survived COVID-19 re- ported symptoms of long COVID-19 three months af- ter they recovered, while 10 per cent still had them a year later. The vaccine is safe and it works -- nearly 50,000 wom- en who are pregnant, or get- ting pregnant or breast- feeding, have demonstrated this. Despite the misinforma- tion online, side effects are rare. Back when I was preg- nant, I worried how the de- cisions I made would im- pact my baby. I chose to get the COVID-19 vaccine so that my kids continue to have a healthy mom. When the COVID-19 vac- cine 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 physician and past presi- dent of the Ontario Medical Association. Her columns also appear on www.drna- diaalam.com. She can be reached through her web- site. LET'S PROTECT OUR CHILDREN, AND OUR MOMS TO BE OPINION PREGNANT WOMEN URGED TO GET COVID-19 VACCINE, WRITES DR. NADIA ALAM DR. NADIA ALAM Column The Halton Police Board has appointed Fred Kausti- nen as the police service's first chief governance offi- cer (CGO). The new position was created, according to the Halton Regional Police Ser- vice, to "help modernize the board's policies and plans, create a new report- ing and evaluation system and to develop a state-of- the-art governance train- ing program." "CGO Fred Kaustinen is the foremost expert on po- lice governance in Cana- da," said Halton Police Board Chair and Oakville councillor Jeff Knoll. "He has a wealth of experience working with the Ontario, Alberta and Canadian Po- lice Governance Associa- tions, plus the Manitoba Police Commission and nu- merous municipal and First Nations police boards." Kaustinen himself spoke highly of the police board's "openness to new ideas, creativity, and re- lentless pursuit of service excellence, adding, "The progress we can make as a team of innovative leaders will set new national stan- dards for police gover- nance." Kaustinen spent 12 years as the executive di- rector of the Ontario Asso- ciation of Police Services Boards. He comes into the new position after spending three years as chief admin- istrative officer of the Hal- ton Police Board. NEW POLICE GOVERNANCE OFFICER WILL 'HELP MODERNIZE BOARD' MANSOOR TANWEER mtanweer@metroland.com NEWS BLACK FRIDAY Up to 50% off select products now until November 30th only! www.ketolibriyum.ca | 2387 Trafalgar Road, Oakville DELICIOUS DEALS STARTING NOW