ESPN reporter Allison Williams won't be on sidelines this college football season due to vaccination status

Longtime ESPN reporter Allison Williams will not be on the sidelines for the network this college football season due to her vaccination status. 

"The last few months have been some of the most difficult days of my life as I grappled with decisions I never thought I would have to make. But that's the world we are now living in, unfortunately," Williams wrote in an Instagram story post on her verified personal page thanking people for reaching out regarding her absence from the Week 1 broadcasts. 

She then confirmed her sideline absence will be an extended one and explained her decision to decline the vaccine in a statement posted to Twitter and her Instagram story. 

"While my work is incredibly important to me, the most important role I have is as a mother. Throughout our family planning with our doctor, as well as a fertility specialist, I have decided not to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at this time while my husband and I try for a second child," Williams wrote. 

"This was a deeply difficult decision to make and it's not something I take lightly. I understand vaccines have been essential in the effort to end this pandemic; however, taking the vaccine at this time is not in my best interest. After a lot of prayer and deliberation, I have decided I must put my family and personal health first. 

"I will miss being on the sidelines and am thankful for the support of my ESPN family. I look forward to when I can return to the games and job that I love." 

There is no evidence that the vaccines can cause fertility problems, according to experts. The CDC has stated that currently available vaccines are safe for those who are pregnant or may become pregnant.

In April, Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical advisor to the White House and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, addressed the "disinformation" being spread about vaccines and any impact on fertility. 

"There's no evidence whatsoever that the vaccines have any impact on fertility," he said in an interview with the Commercial Appeal. "This is one of those disinformation issues that we often talk about. And that's the reason why we have to make sure people get the right information.

"The situation with pregnant women, there are still trials going on to look at, formerly at the safety in pregnant women. But if you look at the now over 70,000 pregnancies that have occurred in people who are vaccinated, the data look like there are no obvious red flag signals. The CDC follows this closely. And right now, even though there's no formal recommendation, the American College of (Obstetricians and Gynecologists) said that vaccines should not be withheld from pregnant women. The thing that's important that people need to realize, that the effect of COVID-19 on pregnant women is quite severe. Not only for the health of the woman but for the ultimate outcome of the pregnancy."

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Walt Disney Co., which owns ESPN, announced a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all its non-union employees at the end of July.