Understanding mRNA Covid-19 Vaccines

Diet and medical nutrition therapy is a crucial part of PCOS management. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ Nutrition Care Manual includes evidence-based medical nutrition therapy guidelines for adolescents and young adults with PCOS which indicates that proper management of macronutrient intake and supplementation of a few micronutrients are helpful in reducing symptoms of PCOS such as bloating, male-pattern baldness, acne, irregular menstruation, hyperandrogenism and more. However, one size does not fit all and personalised nutrition guidance is recommended for all women. What supplements have been shown to regulate periods and improve fertility? Which nutrient reduces excess hair growth and acne? What does evidence tell us? To get answers to these questions and more from the PCOS community, we talked to registered dietician Angela Grassi, a PCOS survivor herself who is an internationally known nutrition and health expert on PCOS, author of several books on PCOS and founder of PCOS Nutrition Center. PCOS patient advocate Lisa Rosenthal of RMACT helped guide the discussion from the patient panel.

Covid19 vaccines roll out began in mid December 2020, with the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines as the first widely available shots. However these vaccines use the mRNA technology for which there is virtually no data – and will likely not be available for months – as to how they might affect pregnant women and their babies. There is also a widespread confusion amongst women who are breastfeeding and are trying to conceive. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says “People who are pregnant and part of a group recommended to receive the COVID-19 vaccine may choose to be vaccinated.” Although many pregnant women have taken the vaccine so far with a leap of faith, the dilemma persists. We are talking to reproductive endocrinologist & virologist Dr Cindy Duke of Nevada Fertility Institute to get answers to common questions and clear the air around myths related to use of COVID19 vaccines in women who are pregnant, breastfeeding or trying to conceive naturally/via ART, and dig deeper into why the CDC quotes “they are unlikely to pose a significant risk for people who are pregnant.