← Return to COVID protection and treating anemia

Discussion

COVID protection and treating anemia

Post-COVID Recovery & COVID-19 | Last Active: Jan 7, 2023 | Replies (26)

Comment receiving replies
@brttnyvaughn

Hello, I am wondering if anyone has came across new information regarding this topic. I am 30 weeks pregnant & have been recently diagnosed as being severely anemic. My ferritin level is a 4, my RBC, hematocrit & hgb are very low as well. I recently started iron transfusions this past week & have one a week scheduled for the next 4 weeks. I have asked my midwife if I should get the vaccine and she told me to ask the doctor administering the infusion. When asking the nurses who administered the infusion to ask the doctor overseeing my procedure, one nurse told me there are certain infusions that you should not receive while also receiving vaccine. The 2nd nurse told me that it shouldn’t be an issue and that I should be fine to get it. They were running behind & did not ask the doctor his opinion as I requested. While giving me conflicting information and not sounding too sure of themselves, I don’t feel comfortable proceeding without a positive response. I have an appointment tomorrow morning to receive my first dose of the covid vaccine and am hoping I can get clarification before then. I’ve had people suggest me to wait until my levels are up. If I do that, I will not be fully vaccinated and have passed antibodies to the baby before going into labor. I have been told to hold off on the remainder of the infusions but I am so symptomatic & there is nothing anyone is willing to do to help me with my symptoms at this point. I am still very symptomatic after my first infusion. I am also taking iron orally two times a day on tops of the infusions. Any insight helps!

Jump to this post


Replies to "Hello, I am wondering if anyone has came across new information regarding this topic. I am..."

Hello, and welcome to the Mayo Connect community. We are people living with a wide variety of diseases and conditions, who try to help one another along the way. We each strive to be informed medical consumers, and our own best advocates in our care. We are not medical professionals, so not able to provide medical advice. We can tell you what has worked for us (or not) and provide you with information and conversation about your question.

I understand how hard it is to make decisions during pregnancy - you are deciding for 2 people, not just yourself. I'm not going to give you medical advice here, but rather self-advocacy advice.

First, the CDC definitely recommends the vaccine for pregnant women. Second, in the past (pre-Covid), it was shown that the immunity conferred by vaccines was lower if hemoglobin was low, but there were antibodies generated.

I suggest speaking to your OB (or if you have access, a certified Nurse Midwife) about your specific situation. This is important information, so if you need, insist on an answer. I would ask about both vaccination and continuing your infusions. It may be easier to do this via your on-line patient portal if you have one. Then the answer can be thought out and written when the practitioner is not so rushed. Or perhaps you need to arrange a phone consult with the provider, since asking the nurses wasn't helpful.

Will you let me know what you learn - this may be important information for others on Connect with a similar question.
Sue