COVID-19 Vaccines Not Linked With Fertility Issues

Vaccines are the best way to protect yourself from COVID-19. But some people have concerns about rumored side effects. This includes whether the vaccines affect fertility. Getting COVID-19 can temporarily affect fertility. But there’s no evidence that vaccines against the disease do.

In a large study, researchers probed the links between COVID-19 vaccines, infection, and fertility. They followed more than 2,000 women. All were trying to conceive without fertility treatments.

Researchers asked whether the women or their partners had gotten a COVID-19 vaccine. They also asked whether either partner had ever tested positive for COVID-19 and when. Researchers followed up every eight weeks for a year or until the women became pregnant.

Getting vaccinated did not lower the odds of conceiving. This was true for both male and female partners. Past COVID-19 infection also did not affect the overall odds of conceiving during the study. But the team did find that pregnancy was less likely if the male partner had tested positive for COVID-19 within 60 days.

“Our study shows for the first time that COVID-19 vaccination in either partner is unrelated to fertility among couples trying to conceive through intercourse,” says Dr. Amelia Wesselink of Boston University, who led the study.

Studies have found that getting COVID-19 while pregnant can pose dangers to both mother and child. Experts recommend that anyone who is pregnant or trying to become pregnant get a COVID-19 vaccine.