COVID-19 vaccine doesn’t affect pregnancy – experts

There is no evidence that any vaccines, including COVID-19 vaccines, influence your chances of getting pregnant despite a myth suggesting otherwise, noted health officials.

According to the medical experts, there is no biological reason the shots would affect fertility. And real-world evidence offers more assurance for anyone worried about their chances of conceiving: In Pfizer’s study, a similar number of women became pregnant in the group given the vaccine as in the group given dummy shots.

Researchers are starting to study anecdotal reports of short-term changes to periods after the vaccine, but there is no indication so far that the shots put fertility at risk, said Dr Mary Jane Minkin, a gynaecologist and professor at the Yale University School of Medicine.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and obstetrician groups also recommend COVID-19 vaccines for pregnant individuals who have a higher risk of severe illness if infected with the coronavirus. Research shows that pregnant people who get the virus are more likely to be admitted to intensive care, receive invasive ventilation, and die than their non-pregnant peers.

The CDC also followed tens of thousands of pregnant women who got the vaccines and found that they had comparable pregnancy outcomes to pregnant women before the pandemic.

So whether you are thinking about having a baby, trying to conceive, or undergoing fertility treatments, you should not delay vaccination, said Dr Denise Jamieson, chair of the department of gynaecology and obstetrics at Emory University School of Medicine.