Trying to find an OB practice that is requiring vaccination

[Anonymous]

I go to Foxhall and my OB told me all of their staff are vaccinated. At my appointment, she asked my husband and I when we were vaccinated and which one we got. She went over the importance of still masking and social distancing now that Delta is spreading. She is very pro vaccine and I've been happy with the precautions they take in the office.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I go to Foxhall and my OB told me all of their staff are vaccinated. At my appointment, she asked my husband and I when we were vaccinated and which one we got. She went over the importance of still masking and social distancing now that Delta is spreading. She is very pro vaccine and I've been happy with the precautions they take in the office.

Wow this is wonderful. Bloom is not doing this. They have not volunteered any info about their staff, have not asked me about my vaccination status or volunteered advice on it, and the whole thing has made me feel awkward and unsafe.

The Post has an article with tips about asking and explained how HIPAA works. https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/vaccine-ask-hipaa-legal-proof/2021/08/06/04b10c9c-f54b-11eb-a49b-d96f2dac0942_story.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kaiser requires doctors and staff

Thanks for confirming! Weird that so many practices aren't mentioning it.

If you're looking for a doula, DC Birth Doulas volunteered this info during their meet and greet call (that everyone in the group is vaccinated and they're following all CDC guidance). Vaccine info was not volunteered for two other doula groups I looked into.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'll tell you this, I was shocked when my midwife said she wasn't planning on getting the covid vaccine herself at all and definitely wasn't going to require it from her staff. I delivered right around when it became available to medical professionals so I figured I didn't have to see her much longer anyhow. Then I had three more nurse practitioner freinds/associates tell me they weren't getting it either. I mean, wtf is up with nurse practicioners?

Meanwhile, every single MD and PhD I know got vaxxed right away.

WTF. Looks like they won't be able to do this for much longer...I had assumed that anyone working in a hospital regularly would already have it. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/covid-vaccine-health-care-dc/2021/08/16/f1768444-fe9c-11eb-ba7e-2cf966e88e93_story.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd be shocked if a practice required patients to get the vaccine. That's a horrible idea, really. Very dangerous.

Doctors offices don’t want to require vaccines. Then vaccine hesitant people can’t get Heath care (harming their innocent babies), and it pushes the further to the fringes.

Staff, yes. But all patients, no, that’s the wrong idea (especially for pregnant people, since their care is also their baby’s care.

[Anonymous]

My pediatric specialist requires vaccines for all eligible patients. I don't think it is that unusual. These people went to med school...of course they understand the value of the vaccine and don't want patients that disregard their medical advice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'll tell you this, I was shocked when my midwife said she wasn't planning on getting the covid vaccine herself at all and definitely wasn't going to require it from her staff. I delivered right around when it became available to medical professionals so I figured I didn't have to see her much longer anyhow. Then I had three more nurse practitioner freinds/associates tell me they weren't getting it either. I mean, wtf is up with nurse practicioners?

Meanwhile, every single MD and PhD I know got vaxxed right away.

Which midwife practice was this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My pediatric specialist requires vaccines for all eligible patients. I don't think it is that unusual. These people went to med school...of course they understand the value of the vaccine and don't want patients that disregard their medical advice.

This is a whole other thing that has been difficult to find info on, as I don't want my baby endangered by sitting in a waiting room regularly with anti-vax patients/families. I noticed that Children's National website states that they follow the CDC vaccination schedule and there is no such thing as an "alternative" schedule, but not sure what that means in practice. I haven't found policies for other pediatricians. West End Peds doesn't say anything on its site other than that vaccines are offered.

Do you mind sharing the pediatric practice that you go to?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd be shocked if a practice required patients to get the vaccine. That's a horrible idea, really. Very dangerous.

Doctors offices don’t want to require vaccines. Then vaccine hesitant people can’t get Heath care (harming their innocent babies), and it pushes the further to the fringes.

Staff, yes. But all patients, no, that’s the wrong idea (especially for pregnant people, since their care is also their baby’s care.

They should at least be asking about it and starting a conversation. This "don't ask" policy is normalizing the anti-vax behavior and part of the reason why the rates for pregnant women are so low. They literally do not even want to discuss it with me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone found an OB practice that is requiring pregnant women to provide proof of vaccination? Or at least is asking about it and strongly encouraging it, and stating that all their staff are fully vaccinated?

My practice never brings it up, and when I tried to show my vaccination card they wouldn't even look at it (front desk attendant said that she wished they were asking, but were told not to). They just changed their ultrasound/partner attendance policy again to be more restrictive, given the variant, and I'm worried that the waiting room is packed with unvaccinated patients. Meanwhile my dentist, prenatal massage therapist, and prenatal yoga class are all requiring proof and are advertising that all staff are fully vaccinated.

Why would you even try to show your vaccine card? Do you do that other places?

To help stop the spread and ensure others feel safe. And yes, as many places (dentist, my local gym/community center, massage therapist, prenatal yoga class, some restaurants, etc) are now only admitting vaccinated clients. That is why I am going there. But I am don't have a choice about going to the doctor.

Really? What restaurants are requiring proof of vaccination? I'm really interested because that means they are not allowing children under 12 (since they can't be vaccinated.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd be shocked if a practice required patients to get the vaccine. That's a horrible idea, really. Very dangerous.

Doctors offices don’t want to require vaccines. Then vaccine hesitant people can’t get Heath care (harming their innocent babies), and it pushes the further to the fringes.

Staff, yes. But all patients, no, that’s the wrong idea (especially for pregnant people, since their care is also their baby’s care.

Vaccine hesitant people are not respecting the knowledge and experience of their docs. If people disregard legal advice or accounting advice, or engineering expertise etc. do these professionals keep them on as clients?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone found an OB practice that is requiring pregnant women to provide proof of vaccination? Or at least is asking about it and strongly encouraging it, and stating that all their staff are fully vaccinated?

My practice never brings it up, and when I tried to show my vaccination card they wouldn't even look at it (front desk attendant said that she wished they were asking, but were told not to). They just changed their ultrasound/partner attendance policy again to be more restrictive, given the variant, and I'm worried that the waiting room is packed with unvaccinated patients. Meanwhile my dentist, prenatal massage therapist, and prenatal yoga class are all requiring proof and are advertising that all staff are fully vaccinated.

Why would you even try to show your vaccine card? Do you do that other places?

To help stop the spread and ensure others feel safe. And yes, as many places (dentist, my local gym/community center, massage therapist, prenatal yoga class, some restaurants, etc) are now only admitting vaccinated clients. That is why I am going there. But I am don't have a choice about going to the doctor.

Really? What restaurants are requiring proof of vaccination? I'm really interested because that means they are not allowing children under 12 (since they can't be vaccinated.)

Here are the restaurants requiring proof: https://www.washingtonian.com/2021/07/30/dc-area-restaurants-and-bars-require-proof-of-covid-19-vaccination/

Equinox is going to require it soon per an email that was sent out, they are rolling it out in NYC before enforcing it everywhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone found an OB practice that is requiring pregnant women to provide proof of vaccination? Or at least is asking about it and strongly encouraging it, and stating that all their staff are fully vaccinated?

My practice never brings it up, and when I tried to show my vaccination card they wouldn't even look at it (front desk attendant said that she wished they were asking, but were told not to). They just changed their ultrasound/partner attendance policy again to be more restrictive, given the variant, and I'm worried that the waiting room is packed with unvaccinated patients. Meanwhile my dentist, prenatal massage therapist, and prenatal yoga class are all requiring proof and are advertising that all staff are fully vaccinated.

Why would you even try to show your vaccine card? Do you do that other places?

To help stop the spread and ensure others feel safe. And yes, as many places (dentist, my local gym/community center, massage therapist, prenatal yoga class, some restaurants, etc) are now only admitting vaccinated clients. That is why I am going there. But I am don't have a choice about going to the doctor.

Really? What restaurants are requiring proof of vaccination? I'm really interested because that means they are not allowing children under 12 (since they can't be vaccinated.)

Here are the restaurants requiring proof: https://www.washingtonian.com/2021/07/30/dc-area-restaurants-and-bars-require-proof-of-covid-19-vaccination/

Equinox is going to require it soon per an email that was sent out, they are rolling it out in NYC before enforcing it everywhere.

NY state rolled out laws for restaurants, gyms, and I think other establishments... As a New York living in NYC at the start of the pandemic (March 2020), I think that NY will be on the frontlines with this stuff because there is so much collective trauma from experiencing the first wave of COVID. But NY isn't requiring OBs to ask patients about vax status or asking patients to get vaccinated. Going to a restaurant or a gym is different from getting obstetric care for a fetus and I agree with the person who said that requiring vaccinations (at least at this point) when fewer than 1 in 4 pregnant women are vaccinated would endanger pregnant women and their babies. I think it would be very politically unpopular. Last I read the hospital on the forefront of mandating staff get vaccinated in Texas had an exemption for staff who were pregnant. There is not the political will to tell women what to do when they are pregnant.

If you are vaccinated and masked (and other patients are masked) then you probably have a pretty low chance of catching delta at your OB's office. I would be more concerned about being pregnant and having a kid under 12 who is going to school, which is my situation - I have a 27 month old who doesn't really like wearing a mask in preschool 4 days a week (it's only 3 hours a day, but that's enough time to get sick!).