Read on Twitter
In response to some very heated and triggered people out there, please feel free to read the following, and know that I will absolutely not respond to or regard any hateful or disrespectful discourse about @CandiceCodyMD (or me). 1/x
Vaccines are given in pregnancy all the time. Flu and TDap booster are recommended by @acog. Recently, ACOG and the @ReprodMed recommended that the COVID vaccine be offered to pregnant and lactating women, based on their individual level of risk. 2/x
The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines contain NO active virus, and they did not rely on any aborted fetal tissue for viral culture or reproduction like some have inaccurately suggested. No preservatives either (thimoserol or mercury) which is why they need to be kept frozen. 3/x
The mRNA sounds scary if you don’t understand cell biology. The mRNA enters the cells, and is then translated (outside of the nucleus, so no chance to alter DNA) into a sequence of amino acids that builds the recognizable spike protein. The mRNA is rapidly degraded. 4/x
Now, your body responds to this spike protein as foreign and it creates antibodies against it using your own immune cells. This is THE SAME process you would undergo if you were infected with SARS-CoV2, with much lower risk, because you don’t actually contract the virus. 5/x
Once the antibodies are built up, your body can fight the coronavirus very early during infection which is why you see the 95% reduction in moderate to severe cases. There is a former employee of Pfizer (hasn’t worked there in almost 10 yrs) That has discussed syncytin-1. 6/x
Syncytin -1 is a protein expressed in the development of the placenta, and it shares a very small amount of protein pattern to the spike protein. This has given rise in some circles to the concern for infertility, or “female sterilization” as some people have suggested. 7/x
The two proteins are not similar enough for the vaccine to cause antibodies against syncytin-1. If they were, then we would have seen significant issues with infertility during the pandemic, since the spike protein from the virus and the vax are the same. 8/x
Approximately 44,000 women have gotten pregnant after COVID. No sterilization issues noted. But they did have much higher rates of hospitalization and severe disease compared to other healthy people of the same age, which is dangerous for the mom and baby. 9/x
Earlier this week, I tweeted out the ACTUAL ingredient list for the vaccine. mRNA sequence. Salts for pH adjustment. Fatty acids for stability. Sugars and polyethylene glycol (PEG) which is in many safe vaccines and medications commonly used, to include OTC Miralax 10/x
No, we are not paid actors. Yes this is real. No it is not propaganda. We are both physicians that make $0 from pharma. As a full time anesthesiologist, @CandiceCodyMD must take risks with her health when she cares for COVID patients. It is a very high risk specialty. 11/x
Many people from the UK reached out and thought to offer their comments. The US and UK are taking slightly different approaches with regard to the vaccine in pregnancy. The US has not said that the vaccine shouldn’t be offered like the UK has. 12/x
Incidence of flu and TDaP vaccinations in pregnancy has risen significantly since 2012 to decrease mother and child morbidity. Both of these virus-based vaccines have been shown to be safe and are now recommended in pregnancy (CDC data). 13/x
At 35 weeks, the baby is nearly full term with only growth and fat production, and some lung maturation left to occur. Some of you Twitter scientists need to review your embryology a little bit before you spit fire at people that deeply understand this process 14/x
This decision was not taken lightly, and only made after thorough discussions together and with our own maternal fetal medicine expert physician, who recommended that Candice receive the vaccine based on her personal risk/benefit profile. 15/x
It may not be necessary for all pregnant/lactating women to receive the vaccine, but our hope is that women will have the courage to discuss the vaccine with their physicians and engage in shared decision-making based on their risk profile. 16/x
Lastly, the safety cap comes off the needle at a right angle when the needle is IN the arm. I can’t believe I had to say that. But there it is. Fin/x
