01/10/2022

Friends of Franz Podcast S1 E4: Allergy and Immunology with Dr. Purvi Parikh

COVID-19 has truly divided the nation into all aspects of society: physically, emotionally, politically, religiously...you name it! This was exacerbated by the roll-out of the mRNA vaccines by Pfizer BioNTech and Moderna at the end of 2020. The virus that was weakening the whole country seemed to become a bipartisan issue muddled by a myriad of misinformation and myths that flooded the internet. Because these erroneous information could cost someone's life, it was just right that we sought enlightenment and data from figures most reliable: evidence-based, up-to-date, and peer-reviewed science.

There was no better expert to reach out to than Pfizer, AstraZeneca, and Sanofi COVID-19 vaccine trials researcher, the current part of the new MOMI-Vax clinical trials, assistant clinical professor at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, medical contributor to the nation’s biggest news channels, the youngest president of the New York Allergy and Asthma Society, double-board certified pediatric-adult Allergy and Immunology physician, AND most importantly...my birthday twin (Taurus unite): Dr. Purvi Parikh.

Dr. Parikh is currently practicing as an allergist and immunologist in New York, NY where she treats patients of all ages. It was, therefore, of no doubt that we reached out to her for all things COVID-19, the fresh roll-out of the mRNA and adenovirus vector vaccines during the recording time of Spring 2021, and immune response in general.

From discussions about her medical journey to allergy talks about sensitivity vs. intolerance vs. allergy and the rarest allergy she has ever encountered, and to every topic under the sun about the COVID-19 vaccines (Pfizer vs. Moderna vs. Janssen vs. Astrazeneca, the mRNA technology, incidences of blood clots, malicious claims of infertility and spontaneous abortion, their long-term safety, and natural immunity), we dissect the common questions that the general public had and feared during its first roll-out. Dr. Parikh has a very clear goal: to hopefully save lives by relaying correct information...and this is what Friends of Franz is all about!