When I heard that a COVID-19 vaccine had been developed, and that educators would be one of the first groups to receive it, I was overjoyed. The vaccine is obviously the key to everything. Once everyone is vaccinated, things can get back to normal, right? As a teacher, I wouldn’t have to be so scared about contracting the virus and having severe symptoms, or heaven forbid passing it along to my vulnerable relatives.
I wasn’t the only teacher in my building eagerly anticipating getting the shot. During every staff meeting over the past few weeks, at least one person asks our principal about when we’re getting the vaccine. At last, our school nurse, Julie, sent out an email to the staff about the vaccine. “Our local pharmacy plans to have the vaccine in 1-2 months for our staff. The vaccine provided will be the mRNA vaccine. The pharmacist said that if you are in your reproductive years, she would suggest you wait to be vaccinated when the next vaccine comes out, which is not mRNA.”
I read the email over several times, trying to make sense of what I saw
What the what? I googled mRNA vaccine and found the CDC’s explanation of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. “mRNA vaccines are a new type of vaccine to protect against infectious diseases. To trigger an immune response, many vaccines put a weakened or inactivated germ into our bodies. Not mRNA vaccines. Instead, they teach our cells how to make a protein… that triggers an immune response inside our bodies. That immune response, which produces antibodies, is what protects us from getting infected if the real virus enters our bodies.”
Okay, so far I wasn’t seeing anything that produced too many red flags. What did it mean, then, that people in their “reproductive years” shouldn’t have the vaccine? Did it hurt your baby if you were pregnant, or make you infertile? I sent Julie back a message asking for her to clarify.
She replied, “Good question. There has never been a mRNA vaccine before, and the pharmacist said they just don't know the long-term effects the current vaccine has toward reproduction. I don't know if it can cause harm to you or the baby if you are pregnant. I've read you should wait until the next non-mRNA vaccine is available. I believe the next company with the vaccine is AstraZeneca.”
Well, damn
Here I was, all geared up and ready to get the vaccine and put this stupid virus in the rear view mirror, and now… well, my husband and I have been trying to get pregnant for the last few months. I went home and told him the bad news.
Instead of commiserating with me, he nearly scoffed at me, “That’s ridiculous. Just because they haven’t tested the vaccine on pregnant people doesn’t mean it’s dangerous for them. It just means they haven’t tested it. They didn’t test it on children either, so are you saying you don’t want our daughter to get it?”
“So if they didn’t test it on pregnant women, how do we know it’s safe? What if I get pregnant and it’s still in my system?” I pushed back.
“That’s an anti-vax conspiracy theory,” he responded.
“That I heard from the school nurse and a pharmacist?”
None of this was making sense
Hell, it’s still not making sense.
“Just get it. I’ve been watching the news about it. There’s only a very small chance that it wouldn’t be safe for you when you get pregnant. You’re not pregnant now, and we aren’t having the best luck yet, so just do it,” he said.
I didn’t have a response to that, but I was mad. How could he just blow me off like that? But maybe he was right.
Time is passing. It won’t be long (I hope) before our local pharmacy gets a shipment of mRNA vaccines and begins to distribute them to local educators. What am I going to do?
On one hand, it makes sense that they didn’t have time to test the long-term effects on reproduction. But doesn’t that leave out a huge chunk of the population if it’s not safe for those in their “reproductive years?” We’re talking every woman from 18 to 40 who wants to have children. I know it’s important to release the vaccine as soon as possible, but come on!
How am I supposed to make this decision?
I also know that just because they didn’t do an extensive test doesn’t mean it’s unsafe. It may have no effect whatsoever. But that’s the thing — nobody knows. I keep remembering pictures I saw in history class of babies with birth defects caused by thalidomide, an anti-morning sickness pill given to women that was allegedly safe to take during pregnancy.
Honestly, at this point, I don’t know what to do. I guess I have a couple months to think about it. If I actually get pregnant between now and then, I will need to revisit this decision and see if there's more information available. Here's hoping.
