Those trying to conceive or contemplate pregnancy through in vitro fertilization (IVF) have long been concerned that the vaccine could affect fertility and lead to the loss of the fetus. These concerns have turned into a social media whirlwind, but the vaccine should not be given to women considering conception. In fact, doctors recommend vaccinations for pregnant women, pregnant women, and their newborns, who are more susceptible to the disease.
Some research suggests that COVID-19 (the virus, not the vaccine) itself may affect sperm quality, which may contribute to infertility problems in some people. Learn more about why pregnant and nursing women should consider a Covid-19 vaccine.
Despite the fact that the COVID-19 vaccine can cause infertility even in some men, it is the vaccine itself that can help fertility by preventing infections. Vaccination against Covid-19 may help protect male fertility, but more research is needed.
Pregnant women have not been included in the clinical trials of the COVID-19 vaccine; so we do not have much information on the safety of vaccines for this particular vaccine. Pregnant women were not included in clinical vaccine trials and early data from safety monitoring systems did not reveal safety concerns. However, researchers are studying the vaccine’s impact on male fertility, which could provide more information in the future.
Research has never supported concerns about whether or not the COVID-19 vaccine might affect sperm quality, but a study due to be completed in 2021 could provide empirical evidence to allay those concerns.
The University of Miami has completed a study that measured sperm parameters in participants who received the COVID-19 vaccine. There is no credible scientific evidence to support the central claim in a video that the mRNA from the vaccine could harm male sperm. A study from Israel published on 3 May 2021 was to investigate whether the DNA of the HPV vaccine for Covid-19 could influence sperm.
The study measured sperm parameters of participants who received the COVID-19 vaccine by tracking sperm motility and concentration to see if sperm were affected by the vaccine. Researchers examined 45 healthy men with a mean age of 28 years who either received the mRNA vaccine BNT162B2 (Pfizer / Biotech) or the Moderna mRNA / 1273 mRNA vaccine. Researchers in these men did not observe any reduction in sperm parameters such as sperm volume, sperm concentration, sperm motility, or total sperm count (TMSC).
In a clinical trial, a study of 2,260 people aged 12 to 15 years, it was found that the vaccine prevents symptomatic COVID-19 more effectively than a trial with adults. In adolescents in the clinical trial who received the vaccine, the BNT162B2 mRNA vaccine produced higher antibody levels on average than participants aged 16 to 25 in a previous study. None of the teens developed symptoms of COVID – 19 infection.
This theoretical risk has been disproved in a clinical study and will continue to be disproved in the future if more women and children of this age are vaccinated.
Unlike the Moderna, Pfizer, and Biotech vaccines, the mRNA vaccine does not contain the live virus that causes COVID-19 and cannot be administered directly to someone with the virus. It also does not interact with a person’s DNA to cause genetic changes because the mRNA does not penetrate into the nucleus where our DNA is stored. The J. J. and Janssen Covid-19 vaccines are viral vector vaccines, meaning they use modified versions of different viral vectors to give our cells important instructions.
Claims that the COVID-19 vaccine contains Syncyntin-1, a message that produces antibodies to the vaccine, have been reinforced on social media, causing some women to worry about the vaccine and others not to get vaccinated after it was unmasked. A video message from an osteopath known for her anti-vaccination campaigns and conspiracy theories suggested that an RNA-based intake of Covid-19 could affect the sperm and cause infertility. Reuters debunked the claim that a DNA-based vaccine could alter DNA.
The Pfizer vaccine was tested on 23 women, and of the study’s volunteers who became pregnant, only those who did not receive the actual vaccine or placebo suffered pregnancy loss.
The clinical trials of Pfizer’s Biotech Moderna vaccine were not designed to evaluate safety during pregnancy. Pregnant women were excluded from the first major vaccine trial, COVID-19, but the smartphone application V-Safe was designed to collect data on vaccine safety during clinical trials. The V-Safe app contains a pregnancy register that collects data on vaccinations during pregnancy and during the period before and during this pregnancy.
While health experts expect the COVID-19 vaccine to have no effect on fertility, Klipstein said there are potential concerns that should be investigated. Although it is clear that the vaccine does not cause infertility, it is possible that strong Covid-19 may affect sperm count due to persistent fever. Fever can suppress male fertility, said Dr. Parviz Kavoussi, a reproductive urologist at St. David’s South Austin Medical Center.
