COVID vaccines and fertility. The topic has been much debated in unofficial news channels and social media. Leading Australian Fertility Specialist, Dr Raewyn Teirney, sets the fact straight amongst the vast misinformation that they may cause infertility.
Covid vaccines and fertility – is there a link?
“There is currently no evidence whatsoever to indicate that there is a link between the COVID vaccines and fertility,” states Dr Raewyn, one of the world’s most highly trained and respected fertility specialists, in independent practice with IVF Australia.
“These vaccines are probably the most tested vaccines in history. We know that they will not affect your future hopes of starting or growing your family.“
Scientific Proof
Dr Raewyn’s comments are backed up by guidance from the Association of Reproductive and Clinical Scientists and the British Fertility Society. It states: “Emerging data for mRNA Covid vaccine is encouraging in terms of its effect on sperm parameters (1), IVF cycle outcome (2) and miscarriage risk following frozen embryo transfer (3). No obvious safety signals have been identified by the V-Safe surveillance system and pregnancy registry (4).”
“This evidence is further backed up by an in-depth article in The BMJ,” says Dr Raewyn. “The British Journal of Medicine is a weekly, peer-reviewed medical trade journal, published by the trade union the British Medical Association. It is one of the world’s oldest and most esteemed medical journals.”
The BMJ article states: “There is absolutely no evidence, and no theoretical reason, that any of the vaccines can affect the fertility of women or men. People of reproductive age should get a covid-19 vaccine when they receive their invitation, including people who are trying to have a baby or thinking about having a baby in the future, the guidance says.
“People undergoing fertility treatment (in vitro fertilisation (IVF), frozen embryo transfer, egg freezing, ovulation induction, intrauterine insemination, or using donated gametes) can be vaccinated during treatment but may wish to consider the timing given the potential side effects in the few days after vaccination.
“It may be sensible to separate the date of vaccination by a few days from some treatment procedures (for example, egg collection in IVF), so that any symptoms, such as fever, might be attributed correctly to the vaccine or the treatment procedure, says the guidance.
“People may start their fertility treatment immediately after being vaccinated, unless they wish to have a second dose before pregnancy,” it adds.
“The guidance also states that those who are donating their eggs or sperm for the use of others can still have a covid-19 vaccine.
What If I’m Already Pregnant?
According to the RANZCOG most updated information, the vaccine is recommended for all pregnant women.
The information states: “Pregnant women are a priority group for COVID-19 vaccination, and should be routinely offered Pfizer mRNA vaccine (Cominarty) or Spikevax (Moderna) at any stage of pregnancy.
Pregnant women with COVID-19 have a higher risk of severe illness compared to non-pregnant women with COVID-19 of the same age.
This includes an increased risk of:
- hospitalisation
- admission to an intensive care unit
- invasive ventilation.
COVID-19 during pregnancy also increases the risk of complications for the baby including a higher risk of stillbirth and premature birth. Vaccination is the best way to reduce these risks.”
Dr Raewyn adds: “It is important to note that none of the COVID-19 vaccines actually contain live virus. This means that neither the pregnant woman nor her baby can contract the virus from the vaccine. Furthermore, if you have had a miscarriage, or several, there is no need to avoid getting the vaccine, as it does not increase the chance of miscarriage.”
RANZCOG also stresses the following information:
- Women who are trying to become pregnant do not need to delay vaccination or avoid becoming pregnant after vaccination.
- There is no evidence of increased risk of miscarriage or teratogenic risk with mRNA or viral vector vaccines.
- Global evidence has shown that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are safe for pregnant women.
- Pregnant women have a higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19.
- Their babies also have a higher risk of being born prematurely.
- COVID-19 vaccination may provide indirect protection to babies by transferring antibodies through the placenta (for pregnant women) or through breastmilk (for breastfeeding women).
- All healthcare workers, including midwives and doctors, are encouraged to be vaccinated, to protect themselves, pregnant women, and their babies. The vaccine does not cause “shedding” and vaccinated people are far less likely to transmit COVID.
Dr Raewyn urges all Australian couples and young people who are concerned to put their fears aside and get vaccinated.
“The misinformation circulating on social media and within certain sections of the community is just that – misinformation. We know more about the effects of the vaccines and fertility than we do about the longterm effects of Covid-19. We know that the vaccine is the best way to help prevent you contracting the virus while pregnant,” says Dr Raewyn.
A further study by Boston University, funded by the National Institutes of Health in the United States and published in The American Journal of Epidemiology found that covid vaccines won’t affect your fertility, but catching the Covid-19 virus can.
The study looked at 2126 couples and found there was no difference in conception rates when at least one member of the couple was vaccinated, compared to those who were unvaccinated.
However, there was a slightly lower chance of conception if the man had been infected with Covid within 60 days of the woman’s menstrual cycle, suggesting that getting Covid-19 could temporarily reduce male fertility.
Furthermore, recent anecdotal reports of men who have caught Covid, suggest it may affect erectile function and penis size. A man in the US reported erectile disfunction after contracting Covid and penile shrinkage of almost four centimetres. His doctors suggest the shrinkage was related to vascular damage and was irreversible.
Resources
- Gonzalez DC, Nassau DE, Khodamoradi K, et al. Sperm Parameters Before and After COVID-19 mRNA Vaccination. JAMA. 2021;326(3):273–274. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.9976
- Orvieto, R., Noach-Hirsh, M., Segev-Zahav, A. et al. Does mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccine influence patients’ performance during IVF-ET cycle?. Reprod Biol Endocrinol 19, 69 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12958-021-00757-6
- Morris RS. SARS-CoV-2 spike protein seropositivity from vaccination or infection does not cause sterility [published online ahead of print, 2021 Jun 2]. F S Rep. 2021;10.1016/j.xfre.2021.05.010. doi:10.1016/j.xfre.2021.05.010
- Shimabukuro, Tom & Kim, Shin & Myers, Tanya & Moro, Pedro & Oduyebo, Titilope & Panagiotakopoulos, Lakshmi & Marquez, Paige & Olson, Christine & Liu, Ruiling & Chang, Karen & Ellington, Sascha & Burkel, Veronica & Smoots, Ashley & Green, Caitlin & Licata, Charles & Zhang, Bicheng & Alimchandani, Meghna & Mba-Jonas, Adamma & Martin, Stacey & Meaney-Delman, Dana. (2021). Preliminary Findings of mRNA Covid-19 Vaccine Safety in Pregnant Persons. New England Journal of Medicine. 384. 10.1056/NEJMoa2104983.
