Pregnant women that are not vaccinated against COVID-19 are at an increased risk for severe symptoms and newborn death should they contract the virus during pregnancy, according to a new study published in the monthly journal Nature Medicine.

About 91% of COVID-19 hospitalizations and 98% of critical care admissions and "all baby deaths" in pregnant women were among those unvaccinated upon contracting the virus, according to the study.

"Our findings emphasize the need for continued efforts to increase vaccination uptake in pregnant women," said the authors of the study, published Thursday.

According to the study, nearly 26,000 COVID-19 vaccines were distributed to almost 18,500 pregnant women in Scotland between the start of the country's vaccination program on Dec.