Louisiana health professionals are urging COVID-19 vaccination as it continues to be distributed toward herd immunity goals.Sponsored by: Baton Rouge Health District

As the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine continues throughout Louisiana, healthcare professionals reassure citizens that it is safe, effective, and free of serious long-term side effects.

One of the myths prevailing on social media is that vaccines can cause placental damage and other effects that can lead to infertility in pregnant or lactating women. However, multiple studies from major women’s health organizations show that these concerns are unfounded.

“Your body doesn’t recognize the placenta as a foreign body and is trying to attack it. That’s the biggest false alarm there, it’s just not true. It’s not the way the vaccine works,” she said. Dr. Pam Simmons, a maternal-fetal medicine doctor at the hospital, said. “There is no indication that vaccination during pregnancy or lactation results in side effects that go beyond the usual side effects seen in other vaccinated patients,” Simmons said.

Simmons also said studies show that when pregnant women become infected with COVID-19, they are at increased risk of serious illness and require ICU treatment.

“Ultimately, women need to think about risk factors and talk to their doctor,” Simmons said. “The important thing is to be informed and weigh the risks and benefits before making a decision.”

Dr. Vins Cataldo, Mary Bird Perkins Medical Oncologist – Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center knows that the immune system is weakened by either the cancer itself or its effects, so many patients are vaccinated as soon as possible. Of the treatment that said he wanted.

Now that the vaccine has become more widely available and cancer patients have received it, Cataldo said he and other oncologists recommend that their patients receive the vaccine as soon as possible.

“It comes from all major medical societies,” he said. “We’ve seen how vaccines work and the science behind them. They have the same side effects as patients who aren’t affected by cancer and aren’t receiving chemotherapy. . “

Cataldo has doubled the chances of severe symptoms when cancer patients are infected with COVID-19, and are more likely to need to be ventilated or die of the virus, in other studies. It shows that it will be.

“It’s more evidence that patients with malignant tumors should be vaccinated as soon as they can legally do so,” he said. “It is also important for people in the patient’s home or those with whom they have a close relationship to be vaccinated, especially to reduce the likelihood of infection at home.”

All patients should consult a doctor before vaccination, but Cataldo is especially important for patients who have received or plan to receive a bone marrow transplant, or who are receiving the most aggressive chemotherapy. Said that.

Many Louisiana medical facilities continue to be vaccinated weekly and make appointments for qualified individuals. Healthcare professionals are working to ensure that people are scheduled to receive both doses of the vaccine.

“When you book your first vaccine, you’ll automatically be booked for your second vaccination,” said Dr. Ardolsso, director of community medicine at Oxner Baton Rouge.

Evidence shows that the vaccine is effective against the original COVID-19 virus and new strains, according to Russo. He added that such mutations are common to all viruses.

Russo added that he understands fatigue and frustration nearly a year after the virus affects people’s lives. However, not everyone can be vaccinated for several months, so we encouraged people to continue measures such as social distance and wearing masks, even if the vaccine becomes available.

“Every time I see people wearing masks, social distances, or vaccinations, I imagine the virus dying because there is no host to multiply,” Russo said. I did. “When we wear masks and social distances, we can’t find new hosts, and there are trillions of coronaviruses that can eventually die.”

Although COVID-19 testing continues throughout the state, healthcare professionals still see some disparities. For example, researchers at the Pennington Center for Biomedical Research have confirmed that few black residents take the test. This could be due to deep distrust in the medical community, lack of transportation or childcare, or a work schedule with little rest for testing.

To address this issue, Pennington Biomedical has obtained competitive funding from the National Institutes of Health to test 2,000 people living in the poorly serviced Baton Rouge community. Pennington Biomedical, in collaboration with Mayor Sharon Weston-Broome’s HealthyBR initiative, offers free saliva testing through 16 churches, schools, community centers and clinics with zip codes 70805, 70807, 70811, 70812 and 70814. I will.

Dr. John Kirwan, Secretary-General of Pennington Biomedical, said:

In addition, Kirwan said Pennington Biomedical has partnered with the Hour Lady of the Ray Regional Medical Center to act as a regional immunization supersite for Baton Rouge. The facility can serve more than 7,000 people each week, depending on the availability of vaccines.

Carwan added that data from COVID-19 testing and vaccine distribution in the black community will help healthcare professionals better understand healthcare inequality and how to address them in the future.

“The information we generate will help guide decisions on how to best support these communities in ongoing COVID testing, which will be needed when new COVID variants emerge,” he said. Said. “The data also help us find ways to overcome vaccine hesitation and ensure fair distribution of vaccines.”

For more information on vaccines, please visit: www.brcovidsafe.com..