dr.veronicaazmy

Welcome to the world Theodore “Theo” Stephen Meawad. Born June 28, 2021 at 5pm sharp, a whole 8lb 15oz. Mommy, daddy, and Sophia love you so much, Theo. You complete us!

So what’s the deal with penicillin allergy??

👉About 10% of the US population is labeled as penicillin allergic
👉When evaluated, less than 5% are truly allergic (per many well-designed studies)
👉Oftentimes, the pcn allergy label is from childhood. Kids get viral illnesses and are (unfortunately) put on antibiotics. Since viruses are the most common cause of hives in kids, when they develop hives, they are wrongfully attributed to the pcn.
👉Even in the case of TRUE allergy, after 10 years, about 80% of people are no longer allergic.
👉Penicillins and cephalosporins (beta-lactams) are very often first line antibiotics for many infections, low cost, and have the least number of side effects.
👉This leads to treatment with alternative antibiotics which may not work as well, may have more side effects, be more costly, or may contribute to antibiotic resistance.

Bottom line: If you have a remote history of penicillin allergy, such as from childhood or several years ago, you may not be allergic. It would be worth seeing an allergist for evaluation. We would love to clear that off your chart so you can receive the preferred antibiotic when you need it!

And just like that, my formal medical training is over. We’re talking 4 years of undergrad, 4 years of medical school, 3 years of internal medicine residency, 2 years of allergy/Immunology fellowship, and 5 board exams later. Phew! Thank you, God. Couldn’t have done it without my incredibly supportive parents, sisters, mentors and program directors, colleagues, patients, and of course my amazing husband who has been my rock through it ALL. We’ve managed to come out on the other side and also build a family, which will be growing by one human in the coming week!

I have LOVED training at Yale and couldn’t be happier with the experience I’ve been afforded. As for the next step, I’ll be joining the Yale faculty this July as an Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine in Allergy & Immunology. I couldn’t be more blessed. See y’all in the office!

Happy Father’s Day to the most selfless, fun, and loving dad there is! You were made to be a father and our family is so blessed to have you as our rock and ultimate goofball. My admiration for you grows each day. We love you so much!

Food for thought. Happy Thursday :)

Stay tuned for more on why this is and the adverse effects associated with having a penicillin allergy label.

According to a recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, one of the highest tier most rigorously reviewed medical journals, COVID-19 mRNA vaccines were found to be safe in pregnant women.

From December 2020 to February 2021, almost 36,000 pregnant women who received the COVID mRNA vaccine were identified, and about 4,000 (including myself!) participated in the v-safe registry, which collected health information periodically.

What did they find? That outcomes for pregnant women who received the vaccine were similar to those of studies in pregnant women before this pandemic began (aka women who did not get the vaccine). 86% of pregnancies ended in live birth and about 14% in pregnancy loss, WHICH IS THE SAME AS THE GENERAL POPULATION. They concluded that there were no obvious safety concerns for pregnant women who received the mRNA vaccines, but that future studies with longer follow up for moms and infants were also needed.

Bottom line: Based on the evidence WE NOW HAVE, COVID-19 mRNA vaccines are SAFE in pregnant women. And just like with any other medication or disease state, future studies are needed to gain even more information. THIS IS GREAT NEWS! Protect yourself and your babies!