COVID-19 Update: Monday, December 7th

Did the head of Pfizer say the vaccine causes sterilization in women?

EDITED to add in a CDC resource on vaccines and pregnancy.

This rumor is making its way around so I thought it was a great focus for today. The story goes that the head of Pfizer said the vaccine will cause sterilization in women. That is not really true so let's sort through what is and what is not fact. First, the person in question who made the statement is Michael Yeadon, he is not the head of Pfizer research, in fact, he doesn't even work at Pfizer. He used to but he left in 2011. So he was not involved in the development of the vaccine and has no "insider" knowledge.

He also did not say it caused sterilization in women but warned that it could cause issues with the placenta attaching to the uterus wall - still a big deal but not the same as sterilization. At no time did he suggest this was intentional so let's be very clear on that and I have seen zero proof provided. The big question of course is is it true that it could cause issues with pregnancy? There is much we don't know - but here is what we do know about the vaccine and pregnancy.

This information is directly from the UK health information document found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/941452/Information_for_healthcare_professionals.pdf

"There are no or limited amount of data from the use of COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine BNT162b2. Animal reproductive toxicity studies have not been completed.

COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine BNT162b2 is not recommended during pregnancy.

For women of childbearing age, pregnancy should be excluded before vaccination. In addition, women of childbearing age should be advised to avoid pregnancy for at least 2 months after their second dose.

Breast-feeding. It is unknown whether COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine BNT162b2 is excreted in human milk. A risk to the newborns/infants cannot be excluded. COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine BNT162b2 should not be used during breast-feeding.

Fertility It is unknown whether COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine BNT162b2 has an impact on fertility"

The facts are - we don't know a ton about the impact on pregnancy and nursing because of course, we can't ethically just give an unproven vaccine to pregnant women to see what happens. However, there has been nothing reported that would suggest it is harmful but there are precautions to be aware of as listed above. It is common that a vaccine not be recommended to pregnant women, so that is not anything to be alarmed by. You can read more about that at this CDC site: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/concerns/vaccines-during-pregnancy.html#:~:text=CDC%20recommends%20that%20pregnant%20women,vaccine)%20and%20the%20Tdap%20vaccine.

The good news here is that there will be options so know which vaccine you feel best about, which one you have access to and which is best for you. Talk to your doctor, ask questions. Ask questions. Oh, and ask questions.

FINAL THOUGHTS - isn't it wonderful that we are to the point that we are having serious conversations about the vaccine? Sure there are unknowns, this year has been a big bundle of unknowns, but we are finally, finally heading toward a clearing. I hope you had a relaxing weekend of rest and renewal. Please continue to be vigilant and hold on just a little bit longer. We are so close, we can do this!