IRMS Recommends COVID-19 Vaccine And Booster Shot

At IRMS, we STRONGLY recommend that ALL of our patients receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

As a Reproductive Endocrinology clinic, we follow the guidelines of ASRM, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Since the onset of COVID, ASRM commissioned a Task Force to follow and analyze the data on COVID and pregnancy as well as the COVID vaccine and pregnancy.

On November 12^th, 2021 the ASRM COVID Task Force issued a new report and we’d like to share the most important and up-to-date points you should reference when making your decision.

COVID-19 Vaccine and Pregnancy¹

• There are no fertility-related reasons for not getting the vaccine.

• Patients who are pregnant or who are planning to become pregnant should become vaccinated against COVID-19 with any of the available vaccines.

• Vaccination against COVID-19 significantly decreases the risk of infection and severe disease at all stages of pregnancy.^1,2 Approximately 400 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in the US since 2020 with an excellent safety profile.

• Currently available data support the safety of vaccination against COVID-19 prior to pregnancy and during all stages of pregnancy.^1,3 Patients considering pregnancy should therefore be vaccinated as soon as possible, and not wait until conception, gestation, delivery or post-delivery.

• Vaccination early in gestation provides added protection for pregnant persons and allows time for an adequate immune response to develop prior to delivery.

• Symptomatic pregnant women with COVID-19 have a 70% increased risk of death compared to non-pregnant women with COVID-19.^1,2 

COVID-19 Booster and Pregnancy

• Patients who are fully vaccinated and either pregnant, or recently pregnant, should receive a booster shot at the recommended time after receiving their second dose of vaccine (e.g. after 6 months for the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine, or after 2 months of receiving the Johnson and Johnson vaccine).⁴ 

• There are no data to suggest benefit of delaying the timing of a booster shot (or initial vaccination), based on intention to become pregnant, trimester of pregnancy, or proximity to delivery.

We understand that this is a difficult time, and for some the decision to take the vaccine and subsequent boosters can be a challenging one. There are many misconceptions and myths about the vaccine that have been easily debunked that we outline in an earlier blog post. We urge you to talk to your trusted physicians and empower yourself with information from credible medical sources. 

If you are currently in care, or are considering care here at IRMS, we would be happy to discuss any concerns you have about taking the vaccine.  

You can reach us by calling 973.548.9900, by filling out our website’s contact form or DM’ing us on our social handles.  

References:

1 COVID-19 Vaccines While Pregnant or Breastfeeding – Updated Nov. 19, 2021 www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/recommendations/pregnancy.html

2 COVID-19 Vaccination for Pregnant People to Prevent Serious Illness, Deaths, and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes from COVID-19 – September 29, 2021 emergency.cdc.gov/han/2021/han00453.asp

3 Shimabukuro TT, Kim SY, Myers TR, et al. Preliminary Findings of mRNA Covid-19 Vaccine Safety in Pregnant Persons. N Engl J Med. Jun 17 2021;384(24):2273-2282. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2104983.

4 COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Shots – Updated Nov. 29, 2021 www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/booster-shot.html#HighRisk