A few weeks earlier, Elizabeth Espinal, five months pregnant, rolled up her sleeve to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, the neurosurgery researcher discussed her confidence in the shooting with her husband, Santos, a cook.
“She had some reservations that are common for non-medical people,” said The Post, a mother who is due to be in Queens. “But I wanted him to feel comfortable with the decision, because we’re in it together.”
Until they made their final decision, the Spinals were among the growing number of future parents who have to contend with the pros and cons as the vaccine launch continues – especially since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not yet done so. direct recommendations. whether or not pregnant women should be inoculated.
Northwell Health employee Espinal, 36, added: “We also thought a lot about the opinions of many from OB-GYN and the doctors I work with closely.
“I look at things very scientifically, weighing the risks like contracting COVID-19 and documented cases of premature birth [the disease has caused]. All roads leading to photography, because there are no real risks associated [pregnant women receiving] it, in addition to [the side effects that would impact] whoever got the vaccine, ”she said.
So far, the CDC has only said that the vaccine “is unlikely to pose a risk to pregnant people” and that “those who are pregnant and part of a group recommended to receive the coronavirus vaccine, such as medical staff, I can choose to be vaccinated ”.
The position of the centers was adopted by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society of Maternal-Fetal Medicine. Both organizations recommend that patients consult with their healthcare provider about the risks and benefits of the vaccine.
SMFM spokesperson Dr. Jacqueline Parchem, a specialist in maternal-fetal medicine, who will give birth to her third child in February, recently used Twitter to strongly express his personal opinion on the issue.
The 38-year-old UTHealth professor shared a photo in which she was injected. Another image shows Houston-based OB-GYN holding a completed sticker – “I have the vaccine for: the whole pregnant woman!“, She wrote in.
She told The Post that her social media campaign had three intended purposes: to explain in simple terms the science behind the vaccine, to provide assurances about its safety, and to show how it works by example.
“We are in a very difficult time, when it is difficult to distinguish good information from bad information and where the credible sources are,” said Parchem. “Doctors are now coming up with unequivocal public health messages to address the vaccine’s hesitation.”
Uniform anti-vaxxers fired Parchem for his online position, but she takes the attacks with her own: “[Their] the comments come from a place of fear, because there is no scientific basis, ”she said. “I did not receive a negative comment from anyone who was able to express their real concern to me.”
In his tweets, the expert notes that it is “difficult to find any other medical intervention that works THIS well”, adding: “Unfortunately, I know the risks of COVID during pregnancy and I have seen too many patients pregnant with severe diseases.”
She said she was frustrated by the lack of evidence on pregnant women and the vaccine, due to the group’s usual exclusion from such studies. However, no participating women who conceived during the test – or the babies they later delivered – have shown negative results so far.
“However, there is a proven increased risk of serious illness [due to COVID] among pregnant people, which leads to a greater need for care in intensive care, mechanical ventilation and potential death, “said Parchem. “If the pregnant woman gets sick or dies, the fetus will not do well.
“It’s an uncomfortable thought, but as one of mine [medical peers] he said, “Death crosses the placenta.”
“When you put all this together, you have to get vaccinated.”
Manhattan resident Elaina Preston, an 11-week-old nurse who works with highly immunocompromised patients, was quick to listen to this advice.
She received her second dose on January 7, after examining the vaccine studies and consulting her reproductive medicine doctor, OB-GYN and known colleagues.
“I was relieved to be eligible, especially because I have moderate persistent asthma,” said Preston, 38, the mother of a 1-year-old. “Now I have more confidence in working in a hospital, knowing that most of my colleagues will also be vaccinated.”
Recalling when she received her first dose on December 18, the medical professional acknowledged a “slight feeling of anxiety about being one of the pregnant women who had been previously vaccinated.”
But with a master’s degree in public health and experience in clinical research, he is confident in the data.
“I am so happy that, after all the terrible things that happened in 2020, I am taking a step that leads us to a better future.”