COVID-19 vaccine and pregnancy: Is it safe to get the shot?

ROLLING OUT, PREGNANT ANDBREASTFEEDING WOMEN MAY HAVESOME QUESTIONS.

AS OUR REBOUNDARIZONA SERIES CONTINUES, ISPOKE TO AN OB/GYN ABOUT THEPOSSIBLE RISKS AND BENEFITSTHAT COME WITH GETTING THESHOT.CRYSTAL PACONOWSKY IS A DOCTORAT BANNER HEALTH IN TUCSON,NOT TO MENTION, SHE'S 6 MONTHSPREGNANT DURING A PANDEMIC.SOT :24-:38 DR. CRYSTALPAKANOWSKI OB/GYN, BANNERHEALTH TUCSON I HAVEDEFINITELY BEEN NERVOUS.

ITHINK A LOT OF THAT HAS TO DOWITH WHAT I DO FOR A JOB.

SOBEING AN OBGYN, I WORK IN THECLINICS AND I WORK IN THEHOSPITAL, SO I AM CONSTANTLYEXPOSED.

VO WHEN YOU'REPREGNANT, YOUR BODY'S IMMUNESYSTEM DOESN'T FUNCTION THEWAY ITS SUPPOSED TO.

AND FORTHE MOST PART, THAT'S A GOODTHING.

IT ALLOWS MOTHERS-TO-BE TO CARRY A BABY WITHOUTRISKS OF THE BODY ATTACKINGTHE PREGNANCY.

BUT THERE IS ADOWNSIDE& SOT 1:25-1:36 WE ARETHEN MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TOCONTRACTING ILLNESSES ANDHAVING A MORE SEVERE IMPACTFROM THOSE ILLNESSES, SHOULDWE CAN TRACK THEM.

VO WHENYOU'RE DEALING WITH A NOVELVIRUS LIKE COVID-19, CLINICALTRIALS ARE A GREAT WAY TO GETTO THE BOTTOM OF UNANSWEREDQUESTIONS.

BUT IF YOU'REPREGNANT, YOU'RE CONSIDERED TOBE A PROTECTED POPULATION.

ANDDOCTORS SAY IT'S NOT UNCOMMONFOR THAT GROUP OF PEOPLE TO BEEXCLUDED FROM CLINICAL TRIALS.SOT 3:03-3:15 WE DON'T HAVETHAT VERY SPECIFIC DATA WHICHIS FOCUSED ON PREGNANCY, TO BEABLE TO PROVIDE TO THECOMMUNITY SO THAT THEY CANMAKE WHAT THEY FEEL IS A VERYWELL-INFORMED DECISION.

VO BUTEVEN THOUGH THERE'S NO FOR-SURE ANSWER AS TO WHETHER ORNOT THE VACCINE IS 100 PERCENTSAFE FOR EXPECTANT MOTHERS,DOCTORS SAY& SOT 4:26-4:36THERE IS A LOT OF INFORMATIONTHAT YOU CAN EXTRAPOLATE FROMTHE STUDIES THAT WERE DONE ONNON- PREGNANT WOMEN AND SO NOEVIDENCE TO SAY THAT IT'S NOTSAFE AT THIS TIME.

VOPREGNANCY IS ALL ABOUT TIMING;YOU'VE GOT NINE MONTHS TO GROWTHAT LITTLE PERSON, SO WE ALSOWANTED TO KNOW: IS THERE ABETTER TIME THAN ANOTHER TOGET THE SHOT?

SOT 5:23-5:38RIGHT NOW, I DON'T THINK THATWE CAN RECOMMEND THAT ONETRIMESTER OVER ANOTHER, IS ABETTER TIME TO BE VACCINATED.MY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE, ASLONG AS YOU'RE COMFORTABLEGETTING THE VACCINE, I WOULDBE VACCINATED AS SOON AS IT'SAVAILABLE TO YOU.

VO SO LET'SSAY YOU HEED THAT ADVICE.REMEMBER OUR STORY LAST WEEKTHAT TALKED ABOUT HOWANTIBODIES HELP PROTECT USFROM VIRUSES LIKE COVID?

WELL,DOCTORS SAY ONCE YOU HAVE YOURBABY, AND IF YOU DECIDE TOBREASTFEED, THAT NEWBORN COULDPOSSIBLY BENEFIT FROM (YOURVACCINATION.

SOT 6:14-6:25 ITACTUALLY MAY PROVIDE SOMEIMMUNITY TO BABY, BECAUSE ONCEYOUR BODY DEVELOPS THOSEANTIBODIES TO COVID, YOU CANPASS THEM THROUGH THE BREASTMILK TO BABY.

VO YOU CAN FINDJUST ABOUT ANYTHING ONLINE ANDIT CAN BE EASY TO GO DOWN ABLACK HOLE FILLED WITH ALLSORTS OF MISINFORMATION.

SO IFYOU'VE GOT CONCERNS ABOUT THEVACCINE AND YOUR PREGNANCY,SKIP THE GOOGLING, TALK TOYOUR DOCTOR AND GET THAT PEACEOF MIND THAT'S SO IMPORTANT TOHAVE WHEN YOU'RE GETTING READYTO BRING ANOTHER HUMAN INTOTHE WORLD.

MARK CHARTER KGUN 9OYS.