Question
This project consists of the following activities. These activities will be discussed in class prior to the project being due. A} Readability Assessment. Using the SMOG and Fry Readability Formulas, calculate the reading grade level of a health education material designed for patients and consumers. B} Rewrite It Easy-to-Read. In this exercise students will apply plain language writing guidelines to develop an easy-to-read health education material. Students will rewrite in plain language a public health service announcement. • Practice writing in plain language • Consider graphic design and visuals to improve reading ease C} Readability Plus. Students will identify and apply criteria for assessing the readability and usability of print and online health education materials. Broad categories for criteria development include language and tone, graphics, layout and design, cultural appropriateness, usability, accuracy, and source credibility. Students will choose a health topic, search for health information websites on that topic, apply the assessment criteria, and present their findings. I choose the following public service health announcement regarding COVID 19 vaccine and if pregnant woman can get the vaccine. This one page public health service announcement should be rewritten in plain language and at an 8th grade reading level. COVID should be defined and pictures should be included. It should appear like a pamphlet!! If I am pregnant can I get a COVID-19 vaccine? Yes, if you are pregnant, you might choose to be vaccinated. Based on how COVID-19 vaccines work, experts think they are unlikely to pose a specific risk for people who are pregnant. However, there are currently limited data on the safety of COVID-19 vaccines in pregnant people because these vaccines have not been widely studied in pregnant people. Systems are in place to continue to monitor vaccine safety, and so far, they have not identified any specific safety concerns for pregnant people. Clinical trials to evaluate the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines in pregnant people are underway or planned. You might want to have a conversation with your healthcare provider to help you decide whether to get vaccinated. While a conversation with your healthcare provider might be helpful, it is not required before to vaccination. Learn more about vaccination considerations for people who are pregnant or breastfeeding. If you are pregnant and have received a COVID-19 vaccine, we encourage you to enroll in v-safe, CDC’s smartphone-based tool that provides personalized health check-ins after vaccination. A v-safe pregnancy registry has been established to gather information on the health of pregnant people who have received a COVID-19 vaccine.
Answer
Now that the vaccine for COVID-19 is here with us, pregnant women, and women contemplating getting pregnant in the near future, have a couple of questions surrounding the benefits and risks. Initially, vaccines were meant for primary care providers; however the program has widened to include the most vulnerable in society.
According to Riley & Jamieson (2021) the ACOG or the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine are in agreement that vaccination against COVID-19 should be offered to pregnant individuals qualifying for immunization.
Here are some responses to basic queries you may be pondering on getting vaccinated against COVID-19 if you are pregnant or anticipating getting pregnant. Remember each day; information is changing at a faster rate. Your medical team or obstetric provider can advise more on the risks and benefits, based on personal health status, virus exposure causing covid illness, and preferences.
What information is available regarding how Covid-19 affects pregnant individuals?
All people are at greater risk when are infected with the virus. Lopes de Sousa et al., (2020) stated that the risk of serious illness and fatalities among pregnant women is minimal; it is huge in comparison with non-pregnant women. Pregnant women are at greater risk and can be admitted to an ICU, requiring life supporting machine, high level of care and can lead to death.
Research indicates that contracting the virus may accelerate the occurrence of premature birth, especially in individuals with severe sickness. However, little data is available on known birth deformities related to Covid-19 (Rasmussen et al., 2021). Although virus transmission during pregnancy is likely, it seems to be impossibility, since there is no data indicating a mother had infected the unborn baby.
Among the vaccines available, vaccines are approved?
Mahase (2021) observed that Food and Drug Administered have recommended three vaccines for Covid-19 for emergency purposes. All provided instructions regarding how the body gets immune against contracting Covid-19, possible in different ways: Moderna vaccine administered in a two-dose and a two-dose Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine which both uses mRNA and a Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine administered in one dose. Research shows that it is effective in the reduction of severe illness and death.
What information is available on the safety of vaccines against Covid-19 in pregnant individuals?
Trials that have been carried out on vaccine by researchers did not include pregnant women, so there is no available data. However, some volunteers unintentionally got pregnant and were b vaccinated. More studies are in the process or starting soon for pregnant individuals. CDC is monitoring vaccine recipients numbering 300,000 who got pregnant in the process of immunization (Lopes de Sousa et al., 2020). To date, pregnant women seem to experience similar side effects to those who are not pregnant. No stillbirths, miscarriages, or preterm birth have been associated with the vaccines.
What are the side effects of Covid-19 vaccines?
Fever is one known side effect reported after getting vaccinated, which one experience a day or two after the jab. The fever is low and manageable by taking acetaminophen, a safe drug during pregnancy (Remmel, 2021). In rare cases, prolonged fevers during pregnancy may cause birth deformities.
What consideration should be taken regarding Covid vaccine if you’re pregnant?
During its initial vaccine rollout, preference was given to healthcare workers but now it has included the most vulnerable in the society. They include the elderly and those with underlying illnesses. For the reason that pregnancy is regarded risky from acute Covid-19, pregnancy may make one eligible to get vaccinated (Rasmussen et al., 2021). There are several options for pregnant individuals to take:
- Consider getting vaccinated as soon as possible, particularly when the vaccine is available
- Defer your vaccination until you give birth
- Wait for a conventional vaccine similar to the flu shot
References
Lopes de Sousa, Á. F., Carvalho, H. E. F. D., Oliveira, L. B. D., Schneider, G., Camargo, E. L. S., Watanabe, E., ... & Fronteira, I. (2020). Effects of COVID-19 infection during pregnancy and neonatal prognosis: what is the evidence?. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(11), 4176.
Mahase, E. (2021). Covid-19: UK approves Moderna vaccine to be given as two doses 28 days apart.
Rasmussen, S. A., Kelley, C. F., Horton, J. P., & Jamieson, D. J. (2021). Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines and pregnancy: what obstetricians need to know. Obstetrics and gynecology, 137(3), 408.
Remmel, A. (2021). COVID vaccines and safety: what the research says. Nature, 590(7847), 538-540.
Riley, L. E., & Jamieson, D. J. (2021). Inclusion of Pregnant and Lactating Persons in COVID-19 Vaccination Efforts.