COVID Vaccines: Too Risky for Some People?

Nearly 1.5 million Americans are being vaccinated every day against COVID-19. Allergic reactions have led some to question if they should get the vaccine; and scant data from clinical trials for the currently approved vaccines in vulnerable populations means we don't fully know how those with certain conditions will react. Does that mean those with certain allergies or conditions like HIV, multiple sclerosis, or cancer should pass on the shot? What about those who are pregnant? Barbara Alexander, MD, infectious disease specialist at Duke University and current president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, joins us to explore who should get the shot. Later in the podcast, Mark Turrentine, MD, a professor at the Baylor College of Medicine and co-chair of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) COVID-19 OB Expert Work Group, also joins to explain whether the vaccine is safe for pregnant and nursing women.