>>> NOW TO OUR SERIES ON LIFE
AFTER LOCKDOWN WHERE WE’VE BEEN
TAKING A CLOSER LOOK AT THE
EXPERIENCES OF PANDEMIC MOMS AND
THEIR BABIES, PREGNANT WOMEN AND
NEW MOMS INCLUDING SOME BIG
QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT NOT
KNOW THE ANSWER TO FROM RESEARCH
OR LOOKING INTO A PUBLIC HEALTH
AGENCIES HAVE SAID, QUESTIONS
THAT YOU FOLKS WATCHING, FOLKS
LISTENING ARE NAVIGATING EVERY
SINGLE DAY AT HOME.
SO WE DECIDED TO TAKE SOME OF
THOSE QUESTIONS FROM YOU AND
BRING IN SOME OF THE VERY BEST
EXPERTS ON THESE TOPICS TO GIVE
YOU SOME ANSWERS.
LET ME BRING IN NOW RUTH FADEN
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE BERMAN
BIOETHICS INSTITUTE AT JOHNS
HOPKINS UNIVERSITY.
ALSO EMILY OSTER, AUTHOR OF THE
UPCOMING BOOK "THE FAMILY FIRM:
A DATA DRIVEN GUIDE TO BETTER
DECISION-MAKING IN THE EARLY
SCHOOL YEARS."
ALSO WITH US MSNBC MEDICAL
CONTRIBUTOR D BADR. BHADELIA,
BRAIN TRUST, WELCOME.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE WITH
US.
GOOD MORNING.
PROFESSOR FADEN, OUR FIRST
QUESTION IS FROM MICHELLE SITES
WHO TWEETED THAT HER QUESTION IS
WHAT HAVE STUDIES SHOW FOR WOMEN
WHO HAVE RECEIVED THE COVID
VACCINE AND NOW WANT TO GET
PREGNANT?
HAVE THERE BEEN STUDIES SHOWING
DIFFICULTY GETTING PREGNANT
AFTER GETTING THE VACCINE?
>> THERE HAVE NOT BEEN, BUT I
WANT TO BE VERY CAREFUL HERE.
THERE HAVE NOT BEEN BECAUSE
THERE REALLY COULD NOT HAVE
BEEN.
IT’S WAY TOO EARLY TO BE ABLE TO
GET DATA SPECIFIC ON THAT
QUESTION -- SPECIFIC DO THAT
QUESTION, BUT LET ME UNDERSCORE
THAT WE HAVE HAD REALLY MANY,
MANY DECADES OF EXPERIENCE WITH
VACCINES AND PREGNANT PEOPLE AND
VACCINES AND WOMEN AND THERE IS
NO INDICATION THAT THERE IS AN
ASSOCIATION BETWEEN ANY VACCINES
AND INFERTILITY.
THAT I CAN SAY.
>> EMILY, LET ME TAKE THE NEXT
ONE OVER TO YOU, THIS QUESTION,
IS THERE A TIMELINE FOR KIDS TEN
AND OLDER TO GET THE COVID
VACCINE?
>> SO FOR KIDS 12 TO 17 WE’RE
CURRENTLY IN TRIALS AND MY GUESS
IS THAT THOSE WILL BE DONE
TOWARDS THE END OF THE SUMMER
AND WE WILL ACTUALLY START
SEEING SOME VACCINATION THERE.
FOR THE YOUNGER COHORT THEY ARE
ONLY JUST ENROLLING OR ANYTHING
ABOUT ENROLLING KIDS IN THOSE
TRIALS NOW.
SO I THINK REALISTICALLY FOR
KIDS, PARTICULARLY KIDS UNDER
FIVE BUT EVEN THE KIND OF UNDER
12 SET WE’RE LOOKING TOWARDS THE
END OF -- TOWARDS THE END OF
2021.
THE BETTER NEWS IS THAT KIDS ARE
REALLY LOW RISK SO I THINK THAT
ONCE ALL OF THE ADULTS ARE
VACCINATED, ONCE WE SEE EVEN
YOUNG ADULTS VACCINATED, WE’RE
GOING TO BE ABLE TO RETURN TO
NOR NORMALSCY EVEN AS WE ATE FOR
THAT LAST LITTLE PIECE OF KIDS
BEING VACCINATED THEMSELVES.
>> WHICH I THINK A LOT OF FOLKS
ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO.
DR. BHADELIA, LET ME ASK THIS TO
YOU, MY DAUGHTER-IN-LAW WILL
HAVE HER BABY GIRL ON MONDAY,
CONGRATULATIONS, SHE SAYS, I’M
GETTING MY FIRST PFIZER VACCINE
TODAY, THE FIRST DOSE.
SHOULD I KEEP MY DISTANCE FOR
NOW?
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO HER?
>> WELL, CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU,
BOTH FOR THE VACCINE AND THE
GRANDCHILD.
SO WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THAT WHAT
WE KNOW FROM CDC GUIDELINES IS
THAT PEOPLE WHO HAVE BOTH OF
THEIR VACCINES, YOU KNOW, AND
TWO WEEKS AFTER THEIR VACCINE OR
WITH JOHNSON & JOHNSON ONE DOSE
AND TWO WEEKS AFTER THAT THEY
ARE CONSIDERED FULLY VACCINATED
AND THEN THEY CAN GO TO LOW-RISK
HOUSEHOLDS AND MERGE WITH THAT
HOUSEHOLD.
SO YOUR DAUGHTER AND THEIR CHILD
WOULD BE CONSIDERED IF THEY ARE
NOT HIGH RISK WOULD BE
CONSIDERED SAFE FOR YOU TO
VISIT.
SO FOR YOU TO NOT VISIT THEM,
THE REASON RIGHT NOW IS NOT SO
MUCH FOR THEIR SAFETY, BUT JUST
SO THAT YOU’RE PROTECTED AND YOU
HAVE GOTTEN THE FULL PROTECTION
OF THE VACCINES THAT YOU’RE
RECEIVING BEFORE YOU CAN DO
THAT.
I WOULD SAY JUST DELAY UNTIL YOU
GET YOUR SECOND DOSE AND IT’S
BEEN TWO WEEKS.
>> THAT’S GOOD ADVICE.
EMILY, THIS NEXT ONE IS A
PERSONAL ONE FOR US HERE IN OUR
MSNBC FAMILY BECAUSE THE WIFE OF
ONE OF OUR COLLEAGUES HERE,
CANDY, SENT US THIS QUESTION
WHICH BURIES THE LEDE, THEIR
EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT THAT IS
GETTING REVEALED ON THIS SHOW.
SHE SAID MY MIDWIFE SAYS THEY’RE
SEEING FEWER VACCINE SIDE
EFFECTS IN PREGNANT WOMEN THAN
THE POPULATION.
IS THERE ANY DATA TO BACK THAT
UP OR IS MY MIDWIFE JUST TRYING
TO CALM ME DOWN?
>> SO I WILL GO WITH -- START
WITH THE SAME THING RUTH SAID IS
THAT WE DON’T YET HAVE ENOUGH
DATA TO BE REALLY CONFIDENT
ABOUT THAT KIND OF THING.
I HAVE HEARD THAT ANECDOTE ALSO.
I THINK GIVEN THAT WE GENERALLY
SEE THAT THE MORE ROBUST YOUR
IMMUNE SYSTEM ON AVERAGE THE
SORT OF MORE SIGNIFICANT ARE THE
SIDE EFFECTS WITH THE VACCINE SO
WE’RE SEEING HIGHER INCIDENTS OF
SIDE EFFECTS FOR YOUNGER PEOPLE
TYPICALLY THAN OLDER PEOPLE.
YOU MIGHT HAVE THOUGHT THAT
PREGNANT PEOPLE WOULD HAVE A
LOWER INCIDENCE OF SIDE EFFECTS
BECAUSE THERE IS A BIT OF IMMUNE
COMPROMISE THERE, BUT I THINK
THE HIGH LEVEL POINT IS ALL THE
DATA WE’RE SEEING ON VACCINATION
IN PREGNANT PEOPLE SO FAR HAS
BEEN REALLY REASSURING AND OF
COURSE BEING PROTECTED AGAINST
COVID IS IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY
FOR PREGNANT PEOPLE.
SO I THINK THAT’S PRETTY
REASSURING AND MOST IMPORTANT
CONGRATULATIONS.
>> SO CANDY AND MIKE, A HUGE
CONGRATULATIONS INDEED.
EMILY, THAT MAKES SENSE.
THANK YOU.
RUTH, ON THIS TIMELINE QUESTION
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK A
LOT OF PEOPLE ARE WONDERING
ABOUT.
AMY SCHWARTZ WANTS TO KNOW WHEN
CAN WE EXPECT RELIABLE RESEARCH
TO BE PUBLISHED FOR THE SAFETY
OF THESE THREE VACCINES FOR
NURSING MOTHERS IN PREGNANCY?
IT IS CLEAR THAT IT’S STILL VERY
EARLY IN THE DATA GATHERING
PROCESS.
WHEN DO YOU FORESEE MORE
CONCRETE INFO FOR WOMEN DOWN THE
ROAD?
>> SURE.
THERE ARE TWO PIECES HERE, FOR
LACTATION REALLY THE MESSAGE
COULD NOT BE MORE REASSURING.
PEOPLE WHO ARE BREAST-FEEDING
SHOULDN’T LET TATE TO GET
VACCINATED AND, IN FACT, THERE
ARE JUST THE BEGINNINGS OF SOME
RESULTS COMING IN TO SUGGEST
THAT IT MAY BE REALLY BENEFICIAL
FOR NEWBORNS FOR THE MOTHERS TO
BE VACCINATED DURING PREGNANCY
IN TERMS OF POTENTIALLY
CONFERRING SOME PROTECTION OF
IMMUNITY IN NEWBORNS.
WE’RE WATCHING THAT DATA VERY
CAREFULLY BUT IT’S LOOKING
ENCOURAGING AND OUR TWO STUDIES
IN THE U.S. AND MULTIPLE AROUND
THE WORLD THAT ARE MONITORING
BREAST MILK AND BREAST MILK.
SO FAR, SO GOOD.
ON THE LACTATION SIDE, IT’S REAL
EASY TO BE VERY, VERY
REASSURING.
ON THE PREGNANCY SIDE, THERE YOU
GO, THANK YOU.
ON THE PREGNANCY SIDE, TOO, THE
EVIDENCE IS ALL LEANING IN THE
DIRECTION OF REASSURANCE, BOTH
HISTORICAL EVIDENCE, EVIDENCE
FROM THE VACCINE PRODUCTS
THEMSELVES WHEN THEY WERE TESTED
IN ANIMALS BEFORE THEY WERE
INTRODUCED INTO HUMAN BEINGS.
THOSE ARE ALSO VERY ENCOURAGING.
WE NOW HAVE TWO SOURCES OF DATA
THAT ARE COMING IN THAT WE
DIDN’T HAVE PREVIOUSLY.
THE FIRST SET OF DATA ARE COMING
FROM ALL THE WOMEN WHO ARE BEING
VACCINATED AROUND THE WORLD
DURING PREGNANCY.
THAT’S A LOT OF WOMEN.
BE SAFE, THE MONITORING SYSTEM
IN THE -- THAT THE CDC
MAINTAINS, IS BEGINNING TO ROLL
OUT SOME OF THE DATA.
AGAIN, EARLY DAYS, BUT SO FAR
ENCOURAGING WHAT THEY ARE SEEING
WITH PREGNANT WOMEN AND THE BE
SAFE SYSTEM.
TWO DRUGS -- TWO VACCINE
MANUFACTURERS, PFIZER AND
JOHNSON & JOHNSON HAVE ANNOUNCED
THEY ARE BEGINNING STUDIES WITH
PREGNANT WOMEN.
JOHNSON & JOHNSON DOWN THE ROAD
AND PFIZER LATER.
I MEAN PFIZER NOW.
EXCUSE ME.
>> WE ARE SHOWING INFORMATION ON
OUR SCREEN.
IF YOU LOOK, WE ARE HAVING ALL
THESE STUDIES YOU ARE
REFERENCING ON OUR TWITTER PAGE
SO FOLKS CAN GET THERE FOR THE
LINK.
THIS IS A QUESTION WE TOOK FROM
FOLKS WHO HAVE BEEN WRITING IN.
I’M AN AVID READER OF YOUR
NEWSLETTER.
WHEN CAN KIDS HAVE FRIENDS COME
OVER?
ON THE TRAVEL FRONT, IS IT SAFE
TO TRAVEL WITH KIDS IF EVERYBODY
ELSE IN THE FAMILY IS
VACCINATED?
>> I THINK THE ANSWER IS YES.
AS WE GET ALL OF THE HIGH-RISK
ADULTS VACCINATED, WE ARE GOING
TO REALLY LOWER ANY OF THE
SERIOUS HOSPITALIZATION AND
DEATH RISKS.
FOR KIDS WHO ARE LOW RISK,
HEALTHY KIDS, THESE RISKS ARE
REALLY SMALL.
THEY ARE MUCH, MUCH LOWER THAN A
LOT OF THE OTHER DISEASE RISKS
THAT ARE FLOATING AROUND IN THE
WORLD AT ALL TIMES.
ALTHOUGH I THINK IT’S STILL
GOING TO SEEM SCARY INITIALLY
AND WE WILL NEED TO ADAPT A
LITTLE BIT, I THINK THERE IS A
SENSE IN WHICH PARENTS CAN BE
CONFIDENT THAT THE TRAVEL IS
POSSIBLE THIS SUMMER, THAT PLAY
DATES ARE POSSIBLE THIS SUMMER
AND THAT ONCE THE HIGH-RISK
INDIVIDUALS ARE VACCINATED, WE
CAN START ACTING MORE NORMALLY.
ONE WAY TO SAY IT IS GIVEN THE
LOW RISK FOR KIDS, AS IF THEY
ARE VACCINATED.
IT’S JUST THAT THEY ARE WAITING
ON THE REST OF US TO RETURN TO
SOME SENSE OF NORMALCY.
>> WE HAVE A COUPLE OF SECONDS
LEFT.
I WANT TO ASK A QUESTION I HEARD
A TON IN MY COURSE OF REPORTING
THIS.
DR. RILEY HAS GOTTEN THIS FROM A
LOT OF WOMEN.
CAN THE VACCINE ACTUALLY
TRANSMIT ANTIBODIES THROUGH
BREAST MILK OR THROUGH THE
PLACENTA IF YOU ARE PREGNANT?
DO WE KNOW ABOUT THAT?
>> RUTH ALLUDED TO THIS.
MOTHERS IN GENERAL TRANSFER
PROTECTIVE ANTIBODIES FOR ALL
KINDS OF DISEASES TO THEIR
BABIES WHILE THE BABIES ARE IN
THEIR PLACENTA AND THROUGH
BREAST MILK.
THAT’S PASSING OF THE PASSIVE
IMMUNITY.
WE WANT THAT.
IF A MOTHER IS VACCINATED, IF
SHE BUILDS THOSE ANTIBODIES FOR