Edmonton mother who contracted COVID-19 while pregnant thankful she got the shot

An Edmonton woman who contracted COVID-19 while pregnant has a school project to thank for her decision to get vaccinated. Now she is urging other pregnant Albertans to heed the advice of health officials and get the shot.

After becoming pregnant with her first child in late 2020, Cheryl Franko was initially worried about getting the COVID-19 vaccine, with her concerns centred around its safety and potential harm to her baby.

“I was scared that [the vaccine] was new and I really didn’t know anything about it,” Franko said.

But a school assignment put her fears to the test. 

Cheryl Franko receives her COVID-19