COVID-19 Vaccine Updates

For more than a year, our communities have done their part to fight COVID-19.  

We have stayed home, worn masks when we’ve gone out, been extra careful with washing our hands and avoided large gatherings. That’s meant that holidays and birthdays have looked a little different, all so we can stay safe and healthy. 

The separation and fear have been draining, and many of us have dealt with loneliness and stress as we worry about our health and our loved ones. 

But now we have something to celebrate. Hope has arrived in the form of the COVID-19 vaccine. All Georgians age 16 or older are now eligible to get their shots. 

At Wellstar, we've chosen to lead by example. Across our health system, frontline healthcare workers and leadership have "stuck it to COVID." Whether they want to gather with friends and family, travel to a new destination or eventually be able to go in public without a mask, our Wellstar team members all have their #MyWhy — the reason they chose to get vaccinated. 

For Dr. Jeffrey Hines, chief of gynecologic oncology for Wellstar, getting the shot was about a sense of responsibility. As medical director of the Wellstar Center for Health Equity, Dr. Hines works to ensure our underserved populations have access to the care they need to stay safe and healthy. He got the COVID-19 vaccine to protect those around him. 

“I’m a father, I’m a husband, I’m a brother and I’m a grandfather, and it’s important for me to protect my family,” Dr. Hines said. “I understand the science, and the science is important, but equally important to me is I want to be a trusted voice to people in the community who are most at risk for this and perhaps may have the most questions.” 

Dr. Sophia McIntyre, senior vice president of Wellstar Medical Group, also said she got her shot to stop the spread, noting that COVID-19 has disproportionately affected minority communities.  

“The reason why I got the COVID-19 vaccine is to ensure that I’m doing my part to bend the curve,” Dr. McIntyre said. “We know that African Americans and Latino Americans are dying at a higher proportion.” 

Dr. Danny Branstetter, Wellstar’s medical director for infection prevention, has been at the forefront of Wellstar’s work to fight COVID-19 and keep our communities safe. Now, he wants to see life return to normal, because health isn’t just about your body. It’s also about your personal connections and overall well-being. 

“I’m tired of being separated from my friends and family. I’m tired of seeing small businesses fold,” Dr. Branstetter said. “I’m tired of seeing the increased burden this places on those without resources. I’m tired of the loneliness this puts on those who are isolated and the elderly. My question is, aren’t you tired, too?” 

All of us play a part in ending this pandemic. 

“We’re in this together, and we can end this together through vaccination,” Dr. Branstetter said. 

To find a vaccination site near you, visit the Georgia Department of Public Health website. Wellstar is also offering the vaccine at several convenient locations around metro Atlanta, and appointments can be made online. 

As you prepare to welcome a new little one to your family, you are faced with so many decisions about childbirth and parenting, which have been complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic. During this exciting but possibly stressful time, your Wellstar provider can guide you through these difficult choices, taking into account your personal medical history and your unique pregnancy situation.

Now that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines against COVID-19, many patients have questions about how getting the vaccine could affect pregnancy and breastfeeding.

As vaccine supplies become more plentiful and eligibility expands to more age groups, OB/GYN experts recommend that vaccines be offered to those who are pregnant or breastfeeding. Here is their guidance for new mothers considering the COVID-19 vaccine.

If you are pregnant and you get infected with COVID-19, you are at higher risk of severe complications.

According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), pregnant women are more likely than people who are not pregnant to experience severe illness, be admitted to the ICU and need to use a ventilator for breathing. There is also a higher risk of death from COVID-19.

The vaccines will not change your or your baby’s DNA.

Don’t worry about the vaccines altering you or your baby’s genetic material—that’s not how the mRNA vaccines currently available work. The CDC and ACOG agree that the vaccine cannot cause any genetic changes in you or your baby because they do not enter the nucleus of cells, where DNA is housed. The vaccines trigger a protein response in your body that helps build immunity. For more information on how the vaccines work, check out Wellstar’s COVID-19 Community Toolkit.

You and your baby will not get COVID-19 from receiving the vaccine.

The Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine confirms these vaccines cannot give you or your baby COVID-19. The vaccines currently available contain mRNA, not any form of the COVID-19 virus.

There is no data to suggest vaccination impacts future fertility.

The American Society for Reproductive Medicine and ACOG both recommend that those trying to become pregnant or considering a future pregnancy still get vaccinated. You will not have to delay or avoid pregnancy after getting both doses of the vaccine. There is also no reason to delay pregnancy attempts because you got the vaccine.

You can still breastfeed.

ACOG recommends that COVID-19 vaccines be offered to lactating women. The Association of Breastfeeding Medicine agrees and says there is no need to avoid starting or to stop breastfeeding if you get the shot.

If you have any questions about the vaccine’s effect on pregnancy or fertility, a discussion with your women’s health provider could help you make an informed decision together. A phone call or virtual visit with your caregiver is a safe and easy way to get more answers about the COVID-19 vaccine.

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) is the foremost professional membership organization for obstetricians and gynecologists. It is comprised of over 60,000 members (board-certified OBGYNs) spanning the entire career lifecycle.

Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine (SMFM) is the professional society made up of OBGYNs with advanced training and focus on high-risk pregnancies and conditions.

American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) is the professional society made up of OBGYNs with advanced training and focus on infertility.

Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM) is a global community of medical doctors with diverse backgrounds and specialties creating a network of experts and advocates to drive breastfeeding medicine forward.

At Wellstar, we believe prevention is the best way to protect yourself from a potential flu infection. That’s why it’s important for you and your family to get a flu shot every year.

In the wake of the pandemic, we know it may be confusing to tell the difference between the flu and COVID-19. If you are unsure if you are experiencing flu or COVID-19 symptoms, please see the comparison section below.

Flu vs COVID-19

Influenza (flu) and COVID-19 are both viral respiratory illnesses and share many common signs and symptoms. Both illnesses are contagious and can be spread through person-to-person contact, although COVID-19 can spread to other people more easily and quickly than the flu.

Since the flu and COVID-19 have many similar symptoms and traits, it may be difficult to determine which respiratory illness you may be experiencing. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), there are key differences between the two illnesses:

Similarities

• Fever* or chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue
• Sore throat
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Muscle pain or body aches
• Headaches
• Vomiting and diarrhea, most common in children
• People 65 years of age and older and those with underlying health conditions may be at higher risk of contracting the flu and COVID-19.*
• Serious medical complications may occur, including pneumonia, respiratory failure, cardiac injury, worsening health conditions and bacterial infections.

*Note: Not everyone with the flu will have a fever. Children under the age of 5 may also be at higher risk of contracting the flu.

Differences

Seasonal flu shots are widely available to the public. As the supply and availability for authorized COVID-19 vaccines increases, you can choose to be vaccinated to protect your health and other community members. Compared to the flu, people with COVID-19 may often:

• Experience sudden change or loss in taste or smell

• Experience additional complications in severe cases, including blood clots in the veins and arteries of the lungs, heart, legs or brain
• Take longer to develop symptoms (up to 14 days after infection)
• Stay contagious longer (at least 10 days after symptoms appear)

Diagnostic testing may be the best way to determine if you are currently infected with COVID-19 or may have had a past infection of the virus.

For more information about COVID-19 testing, click here.

Is It the Flu, Common Cold or COVID-19?

Compared to COVID-19 and even the flu, people with common colds usually experience milder than the other infections. Typically, colds do not result in serious health problems or complications, such as pneumonia or bacterial infections.

People with colds are more likely to have stuffy or runny noses. In general, experiencing fever, chills and headaches are uncommon.

For more detailed information, call (770) 956-STAR (7827) or visit our COVID-19 resource page.