Covid Vaccine updates for Women & Girls

​I get a lot of patient questions about the covid vaccine and I want to highlight some very important points on adolescents, pregnancy and who should get third boosters. My main message is this:

• All pregnant women, those planning on becoming prgnant soon or in the distant future, and those lactating should all be vaccinated against COVID-19. 
• All eligible teens ( currently ages 12 and up) should get vaccinated. Please get your girls vaccinated now! 
• There is NO concerns about current or future fertility. The vaccines are very safe. 
• Third booster- who is immunocompromised? I help many patient dealing with a cancer diagnosis , so this is an important question I get asked. If you are current taking chemo or immune-modulating drugs for breast or other cancer, please talk to your doctor about a booster. Please note that women who have been treated in the past with chemo and are in remission and on  tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors  are not considered in this group. A history of breast cancer that you have recovered from in the past is not a need for a booster at this time. 
  • This needs to be individualized for any patient. Please see below with the current FDA recommendations.

American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists statement:
“As the leading organizations representing experts in maternal care and public health professionals that advocate and educate about vaccination, we strongly urge all pregnant individuals—along with recently pregnant, planning to become pregnant, lactating and other eligible individuals—to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Pregnant individuals are at increased risk of severe COVID-19 infection, including death. With cases rising as a result of the Delta variant, the best way for pregnant individuals to protect themselves against the potential harm from COVID-19 infection is to be vaccinated. Maternal care experts want the best outcomes for their patients, and that means both a healthy parent and a healthy baby. Data from tens of thousands of reporting individuals have shown that the COVID-19 vaccine is both safe and effective when administered during pregnancy. The same data have been equally reassuring when it comes to infants born to vaccinated individuals. Moreover, COVID-19 vaccines have no impact on fertility.Pregnant individuals and those planning to become pregnant should feel confident in choosing vaccination to protect themselves, their infants, their families, and their communities" . www.acog.org/news/news-releases/2021/08/statement-of-strong-medical-consensus-for-vaccination-of-pregnant-individuals-against-covid-19

FDA Recommendations for Covid Booster-

•  Active treatment for solid tumor and hematologic malignancies
• Receipt of solid-organ transplant and taking immunosuppressive therapy
• Receipt of CAR-T-cell or hematopoietic stem cell transplant (within 2 years of transplantation or taking immunosuppression therapy)
• Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (e.g., DiGeorge, Wiskott-Aldrich syndromes)
• Advanced or untreated HIV infection
•  Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids (i.e., ≥20mg prednisone or equivalent per day), alkylating agents, antimetabolites, transplant-related immunosuppressive drugs, cancer chemotherapeutic agents classified as severely immunosuppressive, TNF blockers, and other biologic agents that are immunosuppressive or immunomodulatory

Source: www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/meetings/downloads/slides-2021-08-13/03-COVID-Goswami-508.pdf

For more information and a great source to stay up to date on women's health issues concerning covid, check out:
www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/practice-advisory/articles/2020/12/covid-19-vaccination-considerations-for-obstetric-gynecologic-care

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