ORM COVID-19 Compassionate Care

Yes! ORM Fertility is here for you and we are providing all fertility treatment services at this time. Please reach out to our team with any questions you may have regarding your care at 503-274-4994 or [email protected]

At ORM Fertility, the health and safety of our staff and patients have always been our top priority. We want to assure you that ORM Fertility’s freestanding, well-engineered facilities allow us to care for you in the most protected environment possible. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, we have instituted additional measures to further ensure everyone’s safety.

• TELEHEALTH: We will continue to utilize video and teleconferencing for any appointments that do not require an ultrasound, bloodwork or a surgical procedure.
• COVID-19 SCREENING: Prior to entering an ORM clinic we ask that you complete a simple electronic COVID-19 health screening survey. You can find the link here.
• TEMPERATURE CHECKS: Upon entering the clinic one of our staff will take your temperature. Anyone with an elevated temperature will be asked to go home and their appointment will be rescheduled.
• FACEMASKS: Regardless of vaccination status, we ask that you bring your own facemask to any appointment at an ORM Fertility clinic.
• SOCIAL DISTANCING: We will be managing scheduling and patient flow to allow for social distancing. Appointment times have been adjusted to minimize the number of people in the clinic at any given time.

Yes. Everyone coming to ORM, including staff and those vaccinated, will need to wear their own mask to their visit. Anyone without a mask will need to obtain one before entering the building or reschedule their appointment.

At ORM Fertility, we recognize the importance that the support and reassurance of family and friends provide for our patients. Patients are allowed to bring one support person (over age 16) along with them to all of their appointment types. In addition, one support person will be allowed to accompany the patient in the embryo transfer room. 

*When applicable, Gestational Carriers will be accompanied by the intended parent(s) in the embryo transfer room. 

*Children (of any age) are still not permitted to accompany patients or visitors to ORM at this time. 

Yes, all of our locations are open and all of our physicians are available and seeing patients. Some appointment types are only available at certain clinic locations.

We will continue to utilize video and teleconferencing for any appointments that do not require an ultrasound, bloodwork or a surgical procedure.

Fertility treatment is considered an essential medical service. We encourage all patients to minimize all non-essential travel (not related to medical care) and to follow their local, state and national guidelines regarding travel and recommendations for isolation following travel.

All patients traveling to ORM from out of state or by air travel will be required to obtain a negative COVID test (rapid test preferred) and completion of the ORM COVID Questionnaire within 5 days of travel.

If travel is required here are some things to consider before you go:

• Wash your hands often
• Avoid touching your hands, eyes, and mouth
• Avoid close contact with others
• Wear a cloth face covering when you are in public
• For more information, you can review the Center For Disease Control (CDC) recommendations for travel.

Although we hope this does not happen, if you are exposed to COVID-19, develop symptoms of or are diagnosed with COVID-19, we will likely recommend postponing further treatment until you are healthy. Your provider will help guide you.

Yes. At this time, ORM Fertility recommends that all patients who are actively trying to conceive or are pregnant have access to COVID-19 vaccines. This policy is consistent with the most recent recommendations of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the Society for Maternal Fetal medicine (SMFM).

Patients should have the opportunity to discuss the COVID-19 vaccine with their healthcare providers. The decision to receive a COVID-19 vaccine will need to be on an individual basis.

While the overall risk of COVID-19 in pregnancy is low, pregnant individuals who develop COVID-19 appear to be at greater risk for severe illness.  COVID-19 in pregnancy has been associated an increased risk for adverse events including increased risk of hospitalization, pregnancy-induced hypertension (preeclampsia), preterm (early) labor and birth.

Unfortunately, pregnant women were not included in the clinical trials of the COVID-19 vaccines currently available in the United States. The vaccines currently available under Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) in the United States were not tested in pregnant women prior to their approval. Pfizer and J&J have begun clinical trials including pregnant women.

The current information available for pregnant women who have received either the Moderna or the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines is very reassuring. Using v-safe, the CDC’s after vaccination health checker, just over 35,000 pregnant women have enrolled through February 18, 2021. Side effects and adverse events observed among pregnant individuals in v-safe did not differ from the general population. In 275 self-reported pregnancies, no unexpected pregnancy or infant outcomes were observed related to COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy. Safety monitoring is ongoing.

We must keep in mind that there is no zero-risk option for a pregnant woman – one needs to balance available data on vaccine safety, occupation and risk of exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, risks to pregnant patients from SARS-CoV-2 infection, and an individual’s risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe COVID-19 disease.

ORM Fertility agrees with and supports the recommendations of ASRM, ACOG, and the CDC that COVID-19 vaccines should be offered to all pregnant individuals.

We encourage you to discuss any questions or concerns regarding COVID-19 vaccination with your healthcare providers.

Pfizer and Moderna

The Pfizer and Modera vaccines are mRNA vaccines- they contain no live virus or infectious material and do not use any adjuvants to enhance vaccine efficacy. These vaccines do not enter the cell nucleus and do not alter human DNA in vaccine recipients. mRNA vaccines have not been shown to cause any genetic changes. The mRNA vaccines do not contain any ingredients that are known to be harmful to pregnant women. Based on our current knowledge of mRNA vaccines, the theoretical risk of fetal harm from mRNA vaccines appears to be very low

J&J

The newest vaccine approved for emergency use (EUA) in the United States is the J&J COVID-19 vaccine. The J&J uses a modified, non-infectious adenovirus (Ad-26). The vaccine triggers an immune response against the spike protein of the Sars-CoV-2 virus. It is a single-dose vaccine. Like the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, there is no specific data for pregnancy. Studies from other Ad26-based vaccines in pregnancy are reassuring, but remain preliminary in nature.

Similar to the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, the J&J COVID-19 vaccine is highly effective in preventing moderate to severe disease and death.

 

Recently, the FDA paused the use of the J&J COVID-19 vaccine. After review, the J&J vaccine is again available for use in the United States. Women under the age of 50 should be aware there might be an increased risk of a rare blood-clotting syndrome associated with the J&J vaccine.

As of April 26, 2021, there are three (3) COVID-19 vaccines available in the United States.  When faced with the decision of which COVID-19 vaccine to receive, medical experts advise “the one that is available.”

Common vaccine side effects may resemble a mild flu-like illness and typically resolve within 1-3 days. Vaccine recipients may experience local injection site pain, fatigue, fever and/or chills, headache, and muscle and joint pain. Patients experiencing a fever after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine may take acetaminophen.

We ask that all patients share their current vaccination status with ORM Fertility. If you are planning on be vaccinated, please check with your care team to be sure the timing will not interfere with your treatment.

No. If you are actively trying to conceive and are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, there appears to be no reason to delay either attempting pregnancy or fertility treatment.  There is no scientific evidence or concern that the COVID-19 vaccine could affect fertility. Patients who do conceive in the time between the first and second dose of the vaccine should still be offered the second dose of the vaccine at the appropriate interval.

If a patient experiences a fever or symptoms similar to COVID-19 following vaccination, they should contact ORM Fertility. You may be advised to delay an appointment and/or treatment.

Yes. ORM Fertility asks that any patient who chooses to be vaccinated, the vaccination should be done at least 3 days before or after any egg collection and/or embryo transfer. We advise this ‘wait period” to allow for vaccination-related side effects (i.e. high fever) to pass and help avoid the cancellation of your planned procedure.

If a patient is traveling to Portland from out of town for treatment, you should consider receiving the vaccination at least 3 days before your departure date to avoid side effects that might delay your ability to travel.

There is no scientific evidence that the Pfizer, Moderna, or J&J COVID-19 vaccines cause future infertility or sterility in either women or men. In patients who have recovered from COVID-19 infections, there is no indication their fertility has been negatively impacted.

In men, Covid-19 infection has the potential to negatively influence the quality of a man’s sperm. Any high fever, severe illness, and/or a viral infection can cause a drop in the sperm count for up to 3 months. This could temporarily reduce a man’s fertility. Further study is needed.

No. Currently, ORM Fertility will not require any patient to receive the COVID-19 vaccine prior to testing and/or treatment.

ORM will support and respect an individuals’ decision if they choose to decline COVID-19 vaccination.

Yes. Not enough information is currently available to say if or when CDC will stop recommending that people wear masks and avoid close contact with others to help prevent the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19.

Experts need to understand more about the protection that COVID-19 vaccines provide in real-world conditions before making that decision. Other factors, including how many people are vaccinated, new COVID-19 variants, and how the virus is spreading in our community, will also affect this decision. In addition, it is uncertain how effective the current COVID-19 vaccines are in preventing the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus to others.

While experts learn more about the protection that COVID-19 vaccines provide under real-life conditions, it will be important for everyone to continue using all the tools available to help stop this pandemic.

To protect yourself and others, follow these recommendations:

• Wear a mask over your nose and mouth
• Stay at least 6 feet away from others
• Avoid crowds
• Avoid poorly ventilated spaces
• Wash your hands often

No. We will no longer require COVID-19 testing for our patients that have completed their COVID- 19 vaccination series.

No. ORM Fertility has no current plans to provide COVID-19 vaccination services.