WNBA Players Asked Doctors Their Most Pressing Vaccine Questions — Hear Their Answers

Answering a question from Elizabeth Williams of the Atlanta Dream, Geeta Swamy, MD, an ob-gyn at Duke University, noted that "there is a chance of a booster [shot]" being necessary at some point, even if you've received both doses of Moderna or Pfizer, due to the prevalence of variants. (Pfizer's CEO has already noted that a booster shot within 12 months will likely be necessary.) Because of this, she recommended holding on to your vaccination card and not laminating or permanently altering it, as you might need to add a line or two down the road.

"You do get additional protection from double-masking, but fit is really, really important," said Gary Bennett, PhD, professor of psychology and neuroscience, global health and medicine at Duke, in response to a question from Nneka Ogwumike of the LA Sparks. He explained that the risk of infection via plane travel is higher than you'd get in daily interactions or other types of travel, but not overly dangerous, and that wearing two masks can give you more protection.

Getting regular exercise is good for your immune system, said Michael Ybarra, MD, an emergency physician with PhRMA. Answering this question from Kelsey Plum of the Las Vegas Aces, he said that athletic people will likely have a robust immune response to the COVID-19 vaccine.

Data from Pfizer and Moderna studies performed on animals indicated that the vaccine had no adverse effects on female reproductive organs or on fetuses or embryos, said Wendy Goodall McDonald, MD, an ob-gyn at Northwestern University.

Data hasn't shown that pregnant or breastfeeding women have higher rates of complications following the vaccine, Dr. McDonald said. Doctors recommend that breastfeeding women receive the vaccine, she said. For pregnant women, the recommendation is that they are given the choice to receive the vaccine. "We are yet to achieve the level where we're saying pregnant women should get the vaccine," Dr. McDonald clarified. "We're saying pregnant women should be given the choice."

If you have an autoimmune disease, epidemiologist Jessica Malaty Rivera, MS, suggested having a conversation with your doctor before getting the vaccine, because autoimmune diseases vary greatly. "My understanding is that most people, including folks with autoimmune issues, can still get the vaccine, but it's a very individualized conversation," she told Sydney Colson of the Chicago Sky.

To reach herd immunity, about 60-70 percent of the population should be vaccinated, Rivera said.