An entire population of adults has not been accounted for when it comes to administering COVID-19 vaccinations. Pregnant women, who are at higher risk of severe illness if they contract the virus, were excluded from vaccine clinical trials, and now there is debate and concern about whether or not they are safe for expecting mothers.
March of Dimes CEO Stacey Stewart said the exclusion of pregnant women in vaccine testing is an outdated process and a roadblock for the advancement of science.
"It's 2021, we need to take a more modern approach to how we advance science, especially as it relates to pregnant women [and] to newborn babies," Stewart told Cheddar. "At the March of Dimes, we've been a long advocate for newborn screening for all the things that would help us to make sure that moms and babies are protected,"
While the CDC and the World Health Organization both agree that patients should consult with a doctor to make the best decision for themselves and their baby, the impact of the vaccines, particularly the Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech mRNA vaccines that do not use the live version of the virus, on pregnancies is unknown. So far, both companies are monitoring women who became pregnant after getting vaccinated.
According to Stewart, the fact that the Moderna and Pfizer's vaccines do not "influence or alter the DNA" signals that they would be a safe option for pregnant women to consider.
"What we are saying at the March of Dimes is consult your health care practitioner," she said. "But by all means, know that as a pregnant woman you are at potentially higher risk of severe illness if you contract COVID-19, so we would certainly recommend that women give serious thought to receiving the vaccine when they're able to."
Last week, NIAID Director Dr. Anthony Fauci said of the more than 10,000 pregnant women that have been vaccinated, no major incidents have been reported, which Stewart said is a good indicator of safety.
"If a woman is at high risk, is an essential worker, is at high risk of being in contact with someone that has COVID-19, is at high risk herself of severe illness because of comorbidities, please consider the vaccine because it could save your life. It could save the life of your baby as well," she noted.
Carlo and Baker cover the big races to watch on this off-cycle Election Day, the concrete pledges starting to come out of COP26, Jeffrey Epstein keeps causing CEOs to lose their jobs, and Ryan Murphy's TV hit that wasn't.
The UN climate change conference kicked off on Sunday with about 120 world leaders and delegates gathering in Glasgow, Scotland this week, as experts continue to warn about the harms of heightened emissions and the effects on climate change. The topic of ESG investing is expected to be a top priority at the summit. Jefferies global head of ESG and sustainability research Aniket Shah joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Christian Kroll, CEO of Ecosia, joins 'Fast Forward' to discuss how Ecosia uses its ad revenue to plant trees, and what the company plans to do after launching a $405 million venture capital fund focused on combating the climate crisis.
Dr. Ashley McClure, co-founder of Climate Health Now, joins 'Fast Forward' to discuss why the climate crisis is the greatest threat to humanity and health, and measures we need to take to reverse course.
Clinical research company Medable has secured $304 million in Series D funding, marking its fourth round since 2020, giving the firm a valuation of just over $2 billion. Dr. Michelle Longmire, CEO and Co-founder, Medable joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss the future of the company.
The National Hurricane Center announced that the list of storm names in 2021 has been exhausted as one of the most active hurricane seasons in history continues to stir in the Atlantic Ocean. Subtropical Storm Wanda marks only the third time in history (last year being the second) that all the names were used in a single season.
Astronomers at NASA have located what could be the first exoplanet not only outside of the solar system but outside of our own galaxy in the Messier 51 (or the Whirlpool Galaxy), 28 million light-years away. It could take astronomers up to 70 years to see if the planet passes in front of its star to verify the find.
Even with pandemic lockdowns, greenhouse gas levels reached new highs in 2020, according to the World Meteorological Organization. This report comes just a week ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference, otherwise known as Cop26. Shannon Osaka, climate policy and solutions reporter at Grist, joined Cheddar's Between Bells to discuss.
Oatly Chief Sustainability Officer, Ashley Allen joins Cheddar News to talk about food waste and hows its been left off the table in the upcoming COP26 agenda. Ashley will be on the ground at COP26 and advocating for this conversation to get the attention it deserves.
Carlo's flying solo today, talking COP26 and climate change, another racially charged trial gets underway, SCOTUS takes on abortion and a stunning rise in traffic deaths points to a bigger societal breakdown sparked by the pandemic.
