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";}}
        )

)
1656820328 
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.

 

Federal judge strikes down Trump’s order suspending asylum access at the southern border

The ruling was a win for immigrant advocacy groups that sued over the president's order, which they say put thousands of lives at risk.

A Ukrainian actress saw herself in a White House video — and created one in response

Antonina Khyzhniak, who appeared in stock footage included in a White House Instagram video for the Trump administration's tax bill, responded with a humorous video — and a serious message.

CBS is the latest news giant to bend to Trump’s power

With a $16 million payment to settle President Trump's lawsuit over 60 Minutes' interview with Kamala Harris, CBS becomes the latest media outlet to bow to his power.

‘Love Island’ and modern dating: why romance is dead

This season of Love Island USA is making some viewers feel exasperated. Is it a reflection of today's dating scene?

Benson Boone and Karol G can’t displace Morgan Wallen on the charts

This week's highest debuts on the Billboard 200 albums chart — Benson Boone's American Heart, Karol G's Tropicoqueta and the soundtrack to Netflix's KPop Demon Hunters — all land in the top 10. But they don't come anywhere near displacing Morgan Wallen's I'm the Problem.

The GOP’s massive bill would add trillions of dollars to the country’s debt

The GOP tax cut and spending bill passed by the Senate this week is expected to add trillions of dollars to the federal debt over the next decade. The savings would mostly go to top earners.

More Coronavirus Coverage