Hadassah Hospital Provides Insight on COVID-19 vaccine and Infertility Treatments
May 1, 2021
The last week in April is National Infertility Awareness Week. Dr. Anat Hershko Klement, the Director of the IVF Unit at Hadassah Hospital’s Mount Scopus campus, is using this time to raise awareness about the need for Covid vaccine even for those who are in the midst of dealing with infertility issues. Her patients — both Jewish and Arab — come to her because of medical issues (such as a couple that cannot conceive) or for social issues (women who want to delay motherhood by freezing their eggs). And then, of course, there is the research arm of her work. Her latest is a publication in a scientific journal that had some surprising findings of how miscarriages may actually offer benefits against developing cancer cells later in life.
In recent months though, she has been tirelessly working to dispel any myths surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine. “People are very bothered by a possible effect of the vaccine over fertility, though there is absolutely no evidence that a vaccine can harm your fertility,” she made clear on this episode of the podcast. She said, ideally, it would be best for women to get the vaccine before becoming pregnant. But that if they were already pregnant, it might be best to wait until after the first trimester. Why? Because there are often complications during those first few months, and she doesn’t want the vaccine to be blamed for them.
At Hadassah Hospital, and in Israel in general, more female cancer patients opt for fertility preservation treatments before beginning chemotherapy compared to other parts of the world. “It’s a matter of awareness and of what we call a multidisciplinary attitude,” Dr. Hershko Klement explained. When a patient walks into the cancer clinic, they meet with doctors and nurses from all different disciplines – oncologists, psychologists, embryologists, and more — to discuss a well-rounded and comprehensive treatment plan.
She calls the medical advancements happening in her field – including the ability to educate cells to become an egg – as a game-changer. Asked if she foresees a time in the near future if infertility won’t be as big an issue as it is today, she answers with a smile. “Yes, definitely. I think we’ll get there.”
Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America, Inc. (HWZOA) is the largest Jewish women’s organization in the United States with over 300,000 members, associates and supporters. For over 75 years, Hadassah’s hospitals have been in the vanguard of innovative medical discoveries, research, and treatments, and have supported the delivery of exemplary patient care to over a million people every year.
For information about the good works of Hadassah, visit www.hadassah.org, or to make a donation, visit http://www.hadassah.org/donations. For information about becoming a member of the San Antonio Chapter, please contact Chapter President Marion Bernstein at marionintx@gmail.com or at 210-286-7429.