Do fertility issues make you vaccine-hesitant on the Coast? We want to hear from you.
Coast hospitals say concern of infertility is still a leading reason South Mississippians are still COVID-19 vaccine-hesitant, almost a year after shots have been available in the state.
There is no data that says this leads to any infertility in men or women, medical experts say. The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology recommends the vaccine for all women, especially those pregnant.
In September, during COVID’s fourth wave, the Centers for Disease Control released an urgent alert for pregnant women to get vaccinated against the coronavirus at a time when 161 had died, with 22 deaths in August alone. Ten percent of those deaths occurred in Mississippi.
“We saw a lot of sick pregnant women with COVID in the second and third wave,” said Singing River Dr. Randy Roth during a recent live Q&A the hospital held for their staff members who are still vaccine-hesitant. A number of questions about the shot at the event had to do with fertility concerns, a Singing River spokesperson said.
“I would always encourage [vaccination for] people of childbearing age...I feel really good about not worrying about fertility with this.”
Are you a Coast resident who is holding out on getting vaccinated for fear of fertility issues? We want to hear from you.
Fill out a short survey to let us know what your questions are, and we’ll respond with experts’ answers. You can also e-mail Isabella Murray with questions at imurray@sunherald.com.
Can’t see the survey below? Click here for the link.
