"My Why" By Sarah Fisher Md Obgyn

Why did you decide to receive the COVID-19 vaccine? COVID-19 has affected our community and unfortunately, has taken the lives of so many of our loved ones, including family members, friends, and church members. For me, I felt that taking the vaccine was part of my duty to help protect myself, my parents who are a part of this community, my sister and my brother-in-law, and my new baby niece. I also just as importantly wanted to take care of my patients. I wanted to take a stand to take care of my both pregnant and non-pregnant patients.

What would you like to say to those are who hesitant to receive the vaccine? There are a lot of myths people have about the vaccine that concern pregnancy, breastfeeding, and future fertility. Studies show thus far there is no effect on a growing fetus. Actually, women who receive the COVID-19 vaccine when pregnant are able to pass on antibodies to their babies. The same goes for women who are breastfeeding. So we don’t restrict the vaccine from those who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

We’ve also thus far seen that the vaccine does not cause fertility issues. We see that patients are able to stay healthy, so that when seeking to become pregnant, they are able to prevent getting a deadly COVID-19 infection and prevent adverse outcomes. Some pregnant women with COVID-19 have minimal symptoms, while others can get very sick and require a ventilator. 

If you have any questions at all about pregnancy or fertility and the COVID-19 vaccine, please reach out to your OB-GYN.

This interview was conducted in the summer of 2021, prior to organizational decisions regarding employee vaccination status and booster recommendations.