DENVER — The nation’s leading health organizations are finding less women are willing to get a COVID-19 vaccine.
According to the National Institutes of Health, there’s a growing number of women in their 20s and 30s who are hesitant to get the vaccine. Experts believe it's tied to disinformation circulating online that ties the vaccine to infertility,
“There’s no data to suggest that there’s any link between infertility and the COVID-19 vaccine and no reason, scientifically, to think that that would be true,” said Dr. Kate Adkins, an OBGYN for Denver Health.
One online myth claims the vaccine could cause the immune system to attack the placenta and, in turn, cause a miscarriage or infertility.
“That statement mixes things that we know to be true, like the vaccine will impact your immune system, with things that we know to certainly be false, like your immune system will somehow attack your placenta,” Adkins said.
Other myths include that the vaccine contains DNA, but Adkins said that is also false. The vaccine contains mRNA, a genetic material that carries instructions from DNA to other parts of cells.
“It worries me when I hear those mixed messages and those statements that have a kernel of truth but are globally false. I feel sad and scared for my patients who need to navigate that and try to sort out what’s real and what’s not to do the best for themselves and their pregnancies,” Adkins said.
When it comes to pregnant women, Dr. Adkins said the CDC and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists both support COVID-19 vaccinations for pregnant and breastfeeding patients.
However, as with most vaccines, Adkins said patients should consult their doctor first.
