#ThursdayThoughts
As promised, each Thursday, we will now offer you a piece of educational, science, or research-related information. The purpose of our #ThursdayThoughts post is to share with you fact-based content that can enlighten and assist you on your fertility journey. Enjoy our post! Helping to Create New Beginnings….
Covid Vaccine-ACOG and ASRM recommendations and booster
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) are leading women’s health organizations that recommend COVID vaccinations in pregnancy. According to the ASRM guideline, current research and data show no fertility-related reasons for vaccination exemptions. Vaccination will decrease the risk of infection and severe diseases in all stages of pregnancy. Patients should be vaccinated regardless of their current stage of pre-conception, pregnancy, delivery, or post- delivery. With the omicron variant more rampant and becoming the dominant strain, patients who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant who are fully vaccinated should also receive a booster shot at six months for Moderna or Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine or after two months after receiving the second dose of Johnson and Johnson vaccine (ASRM, 2021).
COVID-19 infections have been known to increase the risk of preterm delivery and may increase the risk of stillbirth. Besides the common side effects, adverse maternal or fetal effects have not been evident in vaccinated pregnant individuals. These side effects include pain at the injection site, fever, muscle pain, joint pain, headaches, fatigue, and other symptoms after the injection. Acetaminophen is recommended for fever and other pain-related symptoms. The side effects are mainly seen as the reaction to the vaccine and the development of antibodies in response to the vaccination. Vaccination may also help protect the fetus as IgG antibodies after maternal vaccination has been demonstrated in observational studies, but the data are currently limited (ACOG, 2021).
For more information or to schedule a consultation with one of our physicians, please schedule an appointment at the Fertility Institute of Hawaii 808-545-2800 or visit our website at https://www.ivfcenterhawaii.com
References
ACOG. 2021. COVID-19 vaccines and pregnancy: Conversation guide. https://www.acog.org/covid-19/covid-19-vaccines-and-pregnancy-conversation-guide-for-clinicians
ASRM. 2021. Patient management and clinical recommendations during the coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic. https://www.asrm.org/news-and-publications/covid-19/statements/patient-management-and-clinical-recommendations-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic/
