Worried about potential side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine? Are you unsure what activities are safe following vaccination? Whether you’re vaccinated or not, AL.com will be reaching out to public health experts to get your concerns addressed about the COVID-19 vaccine.
Just send an email to vaccines@al.com and we’ll get an expert to directly answer your question.
Vaccinations to protect from COVID-19 have grown in importance with the rise of the delta variant and surging infection numbers and hospitalizations across Alabama. We are taking your questions about the vaccines and getting answers from healthcare experts.
Here are the questions we have been able to answer for readers.
Readers submitted these questions:
One reader asks: “My daughter refuses to get the vaccine because she is afraid it will prevent her from becoming pregnant or harm the baby. She is 23.”
Another reader: “Some parents have received vaccinations and are asking if the vaccinations create fertility issues for their daughters - ages 17-22?”
And: “Hello, Please have the correct answer for those breastfeeding, on the reluctance to get vaccinated. Thank You.”
To get some answers, we consulted Dr. Karen Leigh Samples, an independent OB/GYN who serves as the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department Chair at Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children, and Dr. Rachael Lee, a doctor with UAB’s Division of Infectious Diseases.
It should be noted that any questions you have about your own health should be addressed with your primary care provider.
Samples said these questions are nothing new to her.
“As an OB/GYN I often receive questions about if the COVID vaccine has any negative effects on fertility or future pregnancies,” she said. “Claims linking COVID-19 vaccines to infertility are unfounded and have no scientific evidence supporting them. The ACOG (American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology) recommends vaccination for all eligible people who may consider future pregnancy.”
In fact, according to ACOG’s guidance on the vaccines, first issued in January, “pregnancy testing should not be a requirement prior to receiving any Emergency Use Authorization-approved COVID-19 vaccine.”
Some side effects to the mother should be expected, but they are a normal part of the body’s reaction to the vaccine and developing antibodies to protect against COVID-19 illness, the guidelines state.
According to the CDC, possible vaccine side effects include pain, redness and swelling on the arm where the vaccine was received, with tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills, fever and nausea around the body. If you experience them, should go away after a few days.
“COVID-19 vaccines may be administered simultaneously with other vaccines, including within 14 days of receipt of another vaccine,” the College states. “This includes vaccines routinely administered during pregnancy, such as influenza and Tdap.”
Lee said if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, you can safely receive the vaccine.
“Getting a COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy can protect you from serious illness and recent studies have shown that these antibodies are detected in breast milk, which may protect your baby as well,” Lee said. “These vaccines are not thought to be a risk to breastfeeding babies.”
Once again, referring to the ACOG recommendations, “COVID-19 vaccines should be offered to lactating individuals similar to non-lactating individuals.”
See also: Should you get a COVID vaccine booster? What if you had a reaction to the first shot?
Here is more information on COVID vaccines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention