Does the Covid-19 vaccine impact fertility?

What’s covered?

Numerous individuals are hesitant to get vaccinated because of reports that the COVID-19 vaccine leads to infertility. However, according to specialists, there is no scientific proof or reality to the claim that vaccinations affect fertility, whether in women or men, since vaccinations only trigger an immune reaction against that specific antigen or protein of bacterium or virus.

In this scenario, the COVID vaccination elicits both a cell-mediated immune and antibody response to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. However, this does not affect the productivity of either women's or men's reproductive organs. As a result, individuals may be sure that these immunisations will not induce infertility.

If you are more interested in an overview of COVID-19, then read our comprehensive guide written by DR. Williams, which includes symptoms, causes and testing for COVID-19. 

mRNA Vaccines and Fertility

After the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines were granted emergency use authorisation (EUA) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a misleading social networking report circulated that the vaccinations may induce infertility in women.

However, mRNA vaccinations did not influence fertility. They aren't considered to raise the risk of congenital abnormalities, miscarriage, first or second-trimester loss, or infertility since they don't contain a live virus, as per the ASRM.

Johnson & Johnson vaccine and fertility

The J&J vaccine is not an mRNA vaccine. It is, instead, a "viral vector" vaccination. It employs a different virus containing a piece of the coronavirus' genetic sequence, wherein foreign material is recognized by your immune response, producing antibodies to kill it. If you are ever subjected to the coronavirus again, your body will detect it and produce antibodies.

Moreover, the vaccine's replacement virus can enter your cells but cannot affect you. Therefore, the J&J vaccination does not cause infertility and has no harmful impacts on reproduction throughout clinical studies, as per the FDA.

Fertility research studies in healthy men

There is no proof that any vaccination, particularly COVID-19 immunisations, causes male reproductive issues. A short study involving 45 healthy men who got an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine examined sperm parameters such as amount and mobility before and after immunisation. Moreover, scientists discovered no significant changes in these sperm parameters after vaccination.

However, one external research symbol discovered that COVID-19 infection might be linked to a reduction in male fertility for up to 1 month after infection. In healthy males, fever from any illness has been connected to a short-term drop in extra external icon development. While fever is a potential adverse impact of the coronavirus vaccine, there is no proof that fever following coronavirus vaccination impacts sperm production at this time.

Why Is "Infertility Due To COVID Vaccine" Not True?

"Most of the research corresponds with the original knowledge that immunisations do not influence fertility," Dr Goje explains. She discusses the data that debunks this misconception and the security of the COVID-19 vaccination for those who are expectant or desire to become pregnant.

The COVID-19 vaccination does not affect conception

Research published in the American Journal of Epidemiology in January 2022 examined 2,000 couples attempting to reproduce without reproductive therapy. According to the study, there are no variations in the chance of conceiving among non-vaccinated and vaccinated couples. "Researchers discovered no link between the COVID-19 vaccination and reduced reproductive rates," adds Dr Goje.

The COVID-19 vaccination does not affect the placenta

The placenta that joins the uterus during pregnancy is essential to a baby's survival. Dr Goje argues that if the vaccination genuinely affected the placenta, we would notice an increase in miscarriage in vaccinated persons, which is not the case.

Coronavirus vaccination doesn't affect sperm

Scientists have observed no indication that immunisation has a harmful influence on sperm or would negatively affect male fertility. "Two investigations in couples receiving fertility therapy showed no discernible change in sperm motility, quantity, or concentration tested before and after immunisation," Dr Goje says.

How May COVID-19 affect your fertility?

Receiving the COVID-19 vaccination will not affect your fertility, but contracting the virus may. Dr Goje deconstructs some of the research behind the effects of COVID-19 infections on persons who are expecting or attempting to get pregnant.

COVID-19 may affect your pregnancy.

Although the misconception holds that the vaccination might harm the placenta, it appears that it is the virus that would do so. The vaccination has been confirmed to be safe for pregnant women, and studies reveal that pregnant women who develop COVID-19 have a greater risk of:

• stillbirth

• low birth weight

• premature birth

"This demonstrates that the connection to the placenta is a problem for pregnant women infected by the virus, not pregnant women who are vaccinated," Dr Goje explains.

COVID-19 may impair testosterone production

The January 2022 study discovered that among couples seeking to conceive, conception was reduced by 18% in the three months following the male partner's COVID-19 infection.

According to Dr Goje, physicians are not sure why this happens, but scientists are still studying COVID-19's influence on the body, and research has indicated a few potentials:

• Modifications in hormone levels: Specific hormone levels are required for sperm production. However, disruptions to the gonadal glands, pituitary glands, and hypothalamus may cause those levels to fluctuate.

• This might temporarily impair the testicles' capacity to operate normally.

• Inflammatory problems: Infections may trigger what physicians refer to as an inflammatory cascade, a biological reaction to fending off severe sickness.

Male fertility appears to return to normal after several months and having COVID-19. However, if you are trying to have a baby, you should know how your partner's sickness may potentially impair your reproductive capacity.

Conclusion

Whether you attempt to conceive or remain healthy, the evidence leads to the same. Obtaining your COVID-19 vaccination is the best method to protect yourself from the virus's most profound effects. If you are trying to get pregnant, you may be confident in being vaccinated since it has no impact on your fertility.

To order a Covid Antibody Test, click here.

To learn more about fertility, see our Fertility Hub here.