Understanding mRNA Covid-19 Vaccines

Understanding mRNA Covid-19 Vaccines, PCOS management with supplements & Covid-19 vaccinations in women

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APRIL 29, 2021

RECENT Talks

Understanding mRNA Covid-19 Vaccines

with Dr. Drew Weissman

April 05, 2021, 10 AM EST

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Messenger RNA vaccines, also called mRNA vaccines, are some of the first COVID-19 vaccines authorized for use in the United States. mRNA vaccines are a new type of vaccine to protect against infectious diseases. They teach the cells of our body to make a protein that triggers an immune response. This immune response leads to the production of antibodies which protects us from getting infected if the real virus enters our body. We are sitting down with Dr. Drew Weissman, who with his former colleague Katalin Kariko, developed the mRNA technology enabling the creation of the Covid-19 mRNA vaccines, to learn more about the science behind mRNA, the technology and his journey. Dr. Weissman is a professor of Infectious Diseases in Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine and has been working on using RNA in vaccines for more than 15 years.

Panelists

Dr. Drew Weissman

David Stanley

Matt Goldman

Dr. Herbert Geller

Priya Menon

April 16, 2021, 2:30 PM EST

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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.

Panelists

Angela Grassi

Lisa Rosenthal

Madison Lip

Ashley Levinson

Shweta Mishra

March 3, 2021, 2 PM EST

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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.

Panelists