For our surgical, pre-op patients, and labor inductions if you have been fully vaccinated and it has been 2 weeks since the last vaccine dose, you do not need Covid testing prior to surgery! Hooray. You just need to have proof of vaccination.
Also, COVID-19 vaccines will be available to postpartum patients at the hospital. We recommend the 2 dose series and the second dose should be administered 3-4 weeks after the first and can be done at any Hoag location that has the vaccine or local pharmacy chain such as CVS, Rite-Aid, or Walgreens. They will provide all the information when you are in the hospital.
This is great news for those who have been waiting to be postpartum to get their vaccine! And also good news for those babies who will get some passive antibodies from their mothers through breastfeeding.
For an interesting backstory into how the mRNA vaccine was developed, I highly recommend this podcast. I feel like this amazing, once dismissed scientist should win a Nobel Prize! Her name is Katalin Kariko. It made me realize how many years of research went into developing this vaccine.
Onto efficacy of the vaccines-- I have been so surprised that the vaccines have had the efficacy they have had. Hence, the CDC relaxing the masking requirements indoors. I was skeptical at first and I don't really mind wearing my mask at work. Although other countries are still dealing with more contagious variants, the mRNA vaccines seem to be quite effective. As of March 2021, CDC reported 90 % efficacy in high risk frontline workers who received both doses and 80% effective of one dose. As of last month the CDC reported 10,262 breakthrough infections out of 101 million people who received all three vaccines. That's about .01016% of people receiving the vaccine! Truly Amazing. Of those breakthrough cases, 10 % were hospitalized and 2% died. In California, the numbers of breakthrough infection were slightly higher but still only 0.032%, hospitalizations 0.07% and deaths 0.008%.
Also, the more people that are vaccinated helps prevent hosts for the virus and decreases chances of variants. From everything I have read it seems that young people are being affected severely by COVID these days which is really devastating so we all need to think of everyone else and set aside our fears and go get the vaccine. Encourage everyone you know to go get vaccinated! We are still deciding office policy for visitors after June 15th and will post any updates here. Have a great weekend!
