Do COVID-19 vaccines affect my chances of pregnancy?
No, there is no evidence that any vaccine, including COVID-19 vaccines, affects the chances of getting pregnant, despite the recently spread myth claiming the opposite, writes Associated Press.
Medical experts say there's no biological reason why vaccine doses should affect people's fertility. And real-world evidence offers more reassurance for anyone worried about their chances of getting pregnant: In the Pfizer study, the number of vaccinated women who became pregnant was the same as those who didn't get the vaccine.
Researchers have begun to study anecdotal reports of short-term changes in periods after the vaccine, but there is no indication so far that the vaccination puts fertility at risk, said Dr. Mary Jane Minkin, a gynecologist and professor at Yale University School of Medicine in the US.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and obstetric groups also recommend COVID-19 vaccination for pregnant women, who are at higher risk of severe illness if they become infected with the coronavirus. Research shows that pregnant women 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 received the vaccines and found that they had comparable pregnancy outcomes to women pregnant before the pandemic.
"So whether you're thinking about becoming a parent, trying to get pregnant, or undergoing fertility treatments, you shouldn't delay getting vaccinated," says Dr. Denise Jamieson, chair of the department of gynecology and obstetrics at Emory University School of Medicine.
(full article at Associated Press)