Q&A With Dr. John Whyte (May 14, 2021)
Published On May 14, 2021
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Now usually I ask the questions, but today, I'm going to answer yours, the ones you've been emailing and posting on social media. And Andrew recently emailed me, Dr. Whyte, I'm on blood thinners, can I take the COVID-19 vaccine?
Well, Andrew, the answer is yes. If you're on a blood thinner you should still get vaccinated. You might need to apply pressure to the injection site a little longer than usual or you might even ask them to use a smaller needle. But one other thing to keep in mind, if you have a history of blood clots, and that's why you're on blood thinners, talk to your doctor about the right vaccine for you.
John sent me a note recently asking, does getting the vaccine make you infectious to others for some period of time after the shot?
Well, John, the vaccines do not contain COVID. You don't get infected with COVID from the vaccine and you can't spread COVID directly from getting the shot, just doesn't happen. Some people do experience side effects that can seem like COVID, but that's your immune response, it's not COVID infection.
And finally, Dhrudat wrote, hey, Dr. Whyte, how safe is it to do a baby shower? What are the precautions the family should take together when there's a pregnant woman in the group?
Well, first, I want to say congratulation if a baby is on the way. Now, remember, the key to minimize risk is to have everyone vaccinated. If that's the case, you likely don't need to wear masks. Now if people aren't vaccinated or some people are at a higher risk from getting COVID, then folks should still wear masks and physically distance.
Remember, outside events are still better than inside. You also might want to consider limiting it to less than two hours as well. We aren't quite ready to be back to pre-COVID normalcy, so you still want to exercise caution right now.
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JOHN WHYTE
Hi, everyone. I'm Dr. John Whyte, Chief Medical Officer at WebMD, and host of our daily news show, Coronavirus in Context, where we interview experts to help you learn the latest about what's happening with the pandemic. Now usually I ask the questions, but today, I'm going to answer yours, the ones you've been emailing and posting on social media. And Andrew recently emailed me, Dr. Whyte, I'm on blood thinners, can I take the COVID-19 vaccine?
Well, Andrew, the answer is yes. If you're on a blood thinner you should still get vaccinated. You might need to apply pressure to the injection site a little longer than usual or you might even ask them to use a smaller needle. But one other thing to keep in mind, if you have a history of blood clots, and that's why you're on blood thinners, talk to your doctor about the right vaccine for you.
John sent me a note recently asking, does getting the vaccine make you infectious to others for some period of time after the shot?
Well, John, the vaccines do not contain COVID. You don't get infected with COVID from the vaccine and you can't spread COVID directly from getting the shot, just doesn't happen. Some people do experience side effects that can seem like COVID, but that's your immune response, it's not COVID infection.
And finally, Dhrudat wrote, hey, Dr. Whyte, how safe is it to do a baby shower? What are the precautions the family should take together when there's a pregnant woman in the group?
Well, first, I want to say congratulation if a baby is on the way. Now, remember, the key to minimize risk is to have everyone vaccinated. If that's the case, you likely don't need to wear masks. Now if people aren't vaccinated or some people are at a higher risk from getting COVID, then folks should still wear masks and physically distance.
Remember, outside events are still better than inside. You also might want to consider limiting it to less than two hours as well. We aren't quite ready to be back to pre-COVID normalcy, so you still want to exercise caution right now.
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