Pregnant Women Should Get The COVID-19 Vaccines, Says UAB Doctor

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2021/01/naharai-perez-aguilar-aj3N2IZxeww-unsplash-e1611854699298.jpg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:2000;s:6:"height";i:1125;s:4:"file";s:69:"2021/01/naharai-perez-aguilar-aj3N2IZxeww-unsplash-e1611854699298.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:18:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:69:"naharai-perez-aguilar-aj3N2IZxeww-unsplash-e1611854699298-336x189.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:189;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:5:"large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:69:"naharai-perez-aguilar-aj3N2IZxeww-unsplash-e1611854699298-771x434.jpg";s:5:"width";i:771;s:6:"height";i:434;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:69:"naharai-perez-aguilar-aj3N2IZxeww-unsplash-e1611854699298-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:12:"medium_large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:69:"naharai-perez-aguilar-aj3N2IZxeww-unsplash-e1611854699298-768x432.jpg";s:5:"width";i:768;s:6:"height";i:432;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"1536x1536";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:70:"naharai-perez-aguilar-aj3N2IZxeww-unsplash-e1611854699298-1536x864.jpg";s:5:"width";i:1536;s:6:"height";i:864;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:67:"naharai-perez-aguilar-aj3N2IZxeww-unsplash-e1611854699298-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:69:"naharai-perez-aguilar-aj3N2IZxeww-unsplash-e1611854699298-800x450.jpg";s:5:"width";i:800;s:6:"height";i:450;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:69:"naharai-perez-aguilar-aj3N2IZxeww-unsplash-e1611854699298-600x600.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:69:"naharai-perez-aguilar-aj3N2IZxeww-unsplash-e1611854699298-553x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:553;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:69:"naharai-perez-aguilar-aj3N2IZxeww-unsplash-e1611854699298-470x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:470;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:28:"gb-block-post-grid-landscape";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:69:"naharai-perez-aguilar-aj3N2IZxeww-unsplash-e1611854699298-600x400.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:400;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:25:"gb-block-post-grid-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:69:"naharai-perez-aguilar-aj3N2IZxeww-unsplash-e1611854699298-600x600.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:69:"naharai-perez-aguilar-aj3N2IZxeww-unsplash-e1611854699298-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:27:"web-stories-poster-portrait";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:69:"naharai-perez-aguilar-aj3N2IZxeww-unsplash-e1611854699298-640x853.jpg";s:5:"width";i:640;s:6:"height";i:853;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:28:"web-stories-poster-landscape";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:69:"naharai-perez-aguilar-aj3N2IZxeww-unsplash-e1611854699298-853x640.jpg";s:5:"width";i:853;s:6:"height";i:640;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:25:"web-stories-poster-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:69:"naharai-perez-aguilar-aj3N2IZxeww-unsplash-e1611854699298-640x640.jpg";s:5:"width";i:640;s:6:"height";i:640;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:26:"web-stories-publisher-logo";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:67:"naharai-perez-aguilar-aj3N2IZxeww-unsplash-e1611854699298-96x96.jpg";s:5:"width";i:96;s:6:"height";i:96;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:21:"web-stories-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:68:"naharai-perez-aguilar-aj3N2IZxeww-unsplash-e1611854699298-150x84.jpg";s:5:"width";i:150;s:6:"height";i:84;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"0";s:6:"credit";s:0:"";s:6:"camera";s:0:"";s:7:"caption";s:0:"";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:1:"0";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:1:"0";s:3:"iso";s:1:"0";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:1:"0";s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"0";s:8:"keywords";a:0:{}}}
        )

    [_media_credit] => Array
        (
            [0] => NaHarai Perez Aguilar
        )

    [_navis_media_credit_org] => Array
        (
            [0] => Unsplash
        )

    [_navis_media_can_distribute] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_wp_attachment_backup_sizes] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:19:{s:9:"full-orig";a:3:{s:5:"width";i:2000;s:6:"height";i:1333;s:4:"file";s:46:"naharai-perez-aguilar-aj3N2IZxeww-unsplash.jpg";}s:14:"thumbnail-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:54:"naharai-perez-aguilar-aj3N2IZxeww-unsplash-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:11:"medium-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:54:"naharai-perez-aguilar-aj3N2IZxeww-unsplash-336x224.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:224;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:17:"medium_large-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:54:"naharai-perez-aguilar-aj3N2IZxeww-unsplash-768x512.jpg";s:5:"width";i:768;s:6:"height";i:512;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:10:"large-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:54:"naharai-perez-aguilar-aj3N2IZxeww-unsplash-771x514.jpg";s:5:"width";i:771;s:6:"height";i:514;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"1536x1536-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:56:"naharai-perez-aguilar-aj3N2IZxeww-unsplash-1536x1024.jpg";s:5:"width";i:1536;s:6:"height";i:1024;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"wbhm-icon-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:52:"naharai-perez-aguilar-aj3N2IZxeww-unsplash-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:54:"naharai-perez-aguilar-aj3N2IZxeww-unsplash-800x450.jpg";s:5:"width";i:800;s:6:"height";i:450;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:25:"wbhm-featured-square-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:54:"naharai-perez-aguilar-aj3N2IZxeww-unsplash-600x600.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:23:"wbhm-featured-home-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:54:"naharai-perez-aguilar-aj3N2IZxeww-unsplash-467x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:467;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:27:"wbhm-featured-carousel-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:54:"naharai-perez-aguilar-aj3N2IZxeww-unsplash-398x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:398;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:33:"gb-block-post-grid-landscape-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:54:"naharai-perez-aguilar-aj3N2IZxeww-unsplash-600x400.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:400;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:30:"gb-block-post-grid-square-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:54:"naharai-perez-aguilar-aj3N2IZxeww-unsplash-600x600.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:19:"post-thumbnail-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:54:"naharai-perez-aguilar-aj3N2IZxeww-unsplash-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:32:"web-stories-poster-portrait-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:54:"naharai-perez-aguilar-aj3N2IZxeww-unsplash-640x853.jpg";s:5:"width";i:640;s:6:"height";i:853;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:33:"web-stories-poster-landscape-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:54:"naharai-perez-aguilar-aj3N2IZxeww-unsplash-853x640.jpg";s:5:"width";i:853;s:6:"height";i:640;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:30:"web-stories-poster-square-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:54:"naharai-perez-aguilar-aj3N2IZxeww-unsplash-640x640.jpg";s:5:"width";i:640;s:6:"height";i:640;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:31:"web-stories-publisher-logo-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:52:"naharai-perez-aguilar-aj3N2IZxeww-unsplash-96x96.jpg";s:5:"width";i:96;s:6:"height";i:96;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:26:"web-stories-thumbnail-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:54:"naharai-perez-aguilar-aj3N2IZxeww-unsplash-150x100.jpg";s:5:"width";i:150;s:6:"height";i:100;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}
        )

)
1617029058 
1611835504

Pregnant women should get the COVID-19 vaccine, according to the chair of UAB’s Obstetrics and Gynecology Department.

During a press conference Wednesday, Dr. Warner Huh said the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks.

“The reason for it is that …. the risk of being hospitalized, including being in an ICU, being on a ventilator, and also dying is going to be higher than their non-pregnant counterparts,” Huh said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists, the Society of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, and the American Society of Reproductive Medicine have all issued recommendations that the vaccine is offered to pregnant women, women that are breastfeeding, and women who are planning to get pregnant, said to Huh.

But this comes after the World Health Organization recommended against pregnant women from getting the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine except in severe cases.

“This is a brand new area for us,” Huh said. “There’s still a lot we don’t know, and there’s ongoing studies looking at the pregnant population, but again on balance – we think the benefits greatly outweigh the risks.”

There’s been a lot of concern and questions about whether the vaccine causes infertility, he said.

“There’s really no compelling evidence that the vaccine would actually affect the women’s future fertility going forward,” said Huh.

Another misconception doctors are hearing is that the mRNA from the COVID-19 vaccine can get to the fetus.

“I think the likelihood of that is pretty small. Again, the mRNA is taken up by basically the local tissue, particularly the muscle in the arm [of the pregnant mother],” said Huh. “The mRNA is taken up relatively quickly. So I think the odds of the mRNA actually getting to the placenta, crossing the placenta, and then getting to the fetus is extremely small.”

Huh advises each pregnant woman to talk about their concerns with their doctor because, he said, ultimately, she should feel comfortable with her decision.

But getting the vaccine has proven more difficult than some originally thought. And it’s unclear when pregnant women will be able to get the vaccine because they aren’t specifically mentioned in the state’s vaccination plan. Alabama is still in the early stages of the vaccination process, but pregnant women should be prioritized, said Huh.

“It wouldn’t surprise me, whatsoever, that in the upcoming weeks, months, perhaps, that the prioritization of vaccine – particularly how where pregnant women fit actually gets revisited both by the CDC as well as, hopefully, the Alabama Department of Public Health,” he said.

Editor’s Note: UAB holds WBHM’s broadcast license, but our news and business departments operate independently.

 

BSC’s Daniel Coleman talks about his years-long effort to save the school and what happens next.

After the news that Birmingham-Southern College is closing, we sat down with the school’s president, Daniel Coleman.

IVF could help her start the family she wants. Will Alabama’s personhood law derail it?

Despite a law meant to protect IVF in Alabama, patients and advocates worry the protections won’t hold — and warn of future attacks on reproductive rights.

Struggling Birmingham-Southern College says it will close at end of May

The College Board of Trustees voted unanimously to close the longtime institution, officials announced in a news release. The announcement came after legislation, aimed at securing a taxpayer-backed loan for the 168-year-old private college, had recently stalled in the Alabama Statehouse.

What happens when a rural hospital shuts its doors? Look to Pickens County

Residents in the west Alabama county warn that the lack of emergency care can have deadly consequences. It's a fate that could befall a growing number of rural communities.

Q&A: A bad deal made Jackson’s water problems worse. It wasn’t the only Mississippi city harmed

Reporter Sarah Fowler talks about her investigation that found at least eight Mississippi cities were harmed by deals over faulty smart water meters.

What issues are driving you to the polls this year?

What issues are top of mind as you head to the polls this year? What do you want the candidates to be talking about?

More Coronavirus Coverage