In 2021, 134 women died during pregnancy or within a year following the end of their pregnancy, according to the 2023 maternal mortality report released by the Tennessee Department of Health on Friday. 

COVID-19 emerged as the leading cause of pregnancy-associated deaths in 2021. In that time period, 22 women died from COVID-19 infection while pregnant or in the year following. Eighteen of those women were unvaccinated. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did not sign off on the COVID-19 vaccine for pregnant women until August 2021.Â