We have been receiving queries if the COVID-19 vaccine can cause infertility and a lot of these queries have come in from couplestrying to conceive or considering pregnancy and/or in vitro fertilization (IVF) and have concerns that the vaccines could impact fertility or lead to fetal loss.
According to a report1 published in Forbes, WhatsApp forwards and social media links showed a relation between the spike protein formed by receiving the mRNA-based vaccines and blockage of a protein necessary for formation of and adherence to the uterus of the human placenta and because these were scientific animations and the use of a lot of scientific terms like the specific name of the protein, syncitin-1, placenta, antibodies, and sterilization, false claims sounding like science became science fiction quite quickly.
The good news is this is untrue.
According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) Patient Management and Clinical Recommendations During The Coronavirus (Covid-19) Pandemic, Update 11 from December 2020, “because COVID-19 mRNA vaccines are not composed of live virus, they cannot cause an increased risk of infertility, first or second trimester loss, stillbirth, or congenital anomalies”.2 It should be noted that pregnant and lactating women were excluded from the initial phase III trials of the two vaccines approved so far, so specific safety data in these populations maynot be available yet but further studies are being planned. Nevertheless, the mechanism of action of mRNA vaccines and existing safety data provide reassurance regarding the safety of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines during pregnancy.3
More About Vaccine and Vaccination
According to the Centre for Disease Control, US, getting vaccinated is one of the many steps you can take as an informed and concerned citizen, to protect yourself and others from COVID-19.4This is especially important, because protection from COVID-19 does cause severe illness or death in complicated cases. COVID-19 vaccines help our bodies develop immunity to the virus that causes COVID-19 without us having to get the illness. Different types of vaccines work in different ways to offer protection, but with all types of vaccines, the body is left with a supply of “memory” T-lymphocytes as well as B-lymphocytes that will remember how to fight that virus in the future.
It typically takes a few weeks for the body to produce T-lymphocytes and B-lymphocytes after vaccination. Therefore, it is possible that a person could be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 just before or just after vaccination and then get sick because the vaccine did not have enough time to provide protection. This pandemic calls for concerted efforts from all of us as responsible citizens to ensure healthcare workers are not overburdened by a callous approach to the virus.
Vaccines work with your immune system so your body will be ready to fight the virus if you are exposed. Other steps, like masks, handwashing and physical distancing, help reduce your chance of being exposed to the virus or spreading it to others.
Source
1 https://www.forbes.com/sites/ninashapiro/2021/12/27/the-covid-19-vaccine-does-not-cause-infertility-heres-why-people-think-it-does/?sh=5e3474b268f5
2 https://www.asrm.org/globalassets/asrm/asrm-content/news-and-publications/covid-19/covidtaskforceupdate11.pdf
3 US Food and Drug Administration. Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine EUA Letter of Authorization (https://www.fda.gov/media/144412/download).
4 https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/faq.html