Patient advocate Tina Aswani Omprakash spoke with gastro experts to get the booster answers for people with inflammatory bowel disease. Originally published in Everyday Health on December 1st, 2021 By Tina Aswani Omprakash For Health Answers Medically Reviewed by Kareem Sassi, MD Reviewed: December 1, 2021 Now that many of us with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are several months out from receiving two doses of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has approved a booster dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine for all adults 18 and up who received a second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine at least six months ago or the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine…
- autoimmune disease, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Crohn's, immunocompromised, living with IBD, Ulcerative Colitis, Vaccinations
- autoimmune disease, awareness, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Crohn's, immunocompromised, living with IBD, Minority Health, Ostomy, Ulcerative Colitis, Vaccinations
Receiving the COVID-19 Vaccine as a Patient with Several Autoimmune Conditions
I recently received both doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine! Many folks have been asking about my stance on it and what my experiences with it have been. First of all, I want to be clear – in line with the guidance shared by the International Organization for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, I am without any doubt a supporter of vaccination against COVID especially as a student of public health who has learned about the immense significance of vaccines in curbing pandemics. I believe this pandemic has taken far too many lives (~500K just in the U.S.) and I think that the potential for overarching complications of contracting…
- advocacy, awareness, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Crohn's, immunocompromised, Minority Health, Ulcerative Colitis, Vaccinations
South Asian IBD & COVID-19
Ten days ago, India released its two vaccines, CoviShield & Covaxin, to begin distribution to frontline workers and eventually the general population. As such, Dr. Sumit Bhatia, leading IBD specialist at Medanta – The Medicity Hospital in Gurgaon, India, and Dr. Neilanjan Nandi, esteemed IBD specialist at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA, joined me on the FITWITMD Facebook page for a live discussion to explain the two vaccines in India along with the two mRNA vaccines in much of the Western world. The purpose of this discussion was to understand how COVID is affecting the IBD population and to address vaccine hesitancy in the global South Asian IBD…
- Coronavirus, COVID-19, Crohn's, immunocompromised, J-Pouch, Minority Health, Ostomy, Pregnancy in IBD, Ulcerative Colitis, Vaccinations
Demystifying the COVID Vaccine for IBD Patients
By Tina Aswani Omprakash Originally published in Everyday Health on January 8th, 2021 We open the new year with hope after a dreary year filled with ups and downs from the COVID-19 pandemic. As a woman with Crohn’s disease, a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), I have been practicing every precaution recommended by my doctor, from masking up to practicing social distancing and avoiding crowded, indoor spaces. While I’m used to being home a lot as a result of surgeries related to my disease and regular flare-ups, the pandemic was doubly hard for me because I have been in remission, and in good health to go out and about.…
- Complementary & Alternative Medicine, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Crohn's, Diet, IBD Parenthood Project, Nutrition, Ostomy, Pregnancy in IBD, Ulcerative Colitis, Vaccinations
AIBD 2020: Hot Topics for IBD Patients
This year’s Advances in IBD conference was my first time attending and it sure as heck did not disappoint! AIBD may have been virtual due to the ongoing pandemic but it was nevertheless very well-organized and informative. The sessions shared many important studies and topics for us to learn and know all about. As a patient advocate who was sharing information across platforms, there were several topics buzzing in the IBD patient community around the world. Below are my picks for the top highlights from AIBD for IBD patients: COVID-19 & IBD According to the SECURE-IBD registry, IBD patients are not necessarily at greater risk of contracting COVID-19. Rates of…
- advocacy, awareness, Crohn's, Disease Prevention, Influenza, living with IBD, Ulcerative Colitis, Vaccinations
Don’t Forget Your Flu Shot This Fall
As I got up from dinner to use the bathroom, the room began to spin. Thinking I was just a bit dizzy, I continued on my way to the bathroom. I didn’t know it then, but the next five months of my life would be like a carousel as I stumbled my way through labyrinthitis — an inner ear infection — and a symptom that can occur along with the influenza virus. This happened nearly two years ago, but the images are still vivid in my mind. I had been dizzy for over 72 hours when I decided to go to the hospital. It was December, and the streets were festooned with Christmas…