As vaccinations for COVID-19 are now available, there has been hesitation and confusion around safety for both pregnant women and those undergoing fertility treatments. We want to provide you with the reassurance that the COVID-19 vaccine is safe and currently recommended by our team.
We encourage all eligible patients and their partners to receive the COVID -19 vaccination, in line with ASRM (American Society of Reproductive Medicine) and ACOG (American College of OBGYN) guidelines. There is absolutely no evidence that the vaccination contributes to or can cause infertility or sterility for either the female or male partner, while it is well established that the health risks of contracting COVID-19 remain significant and could contribute to a worse pregnancy outcome. The theories regarding its potential effect on fertility, implantation, sperm health / production have been debunked by science and scientists. As continued studies are conducted, additional evidence is available to support that there is no connection between the COVID-19 vaccine and infertility/miscarriage.
Furthermore, in the randomized blinded Pfizer-BioNTech trial, a similar number of women conceived after receiving the vaccine as those who received the placebo. The coronavirus’s spike protein and syncytin-1 (protein that mediates placental cell fusion) share small stretches of the same genetic code but are otherwise completely different in structure. The vaccine does not induce an immune reaction against the syncytin-1 placental protein. mRNA vaccines are taken up rapidly by muscle cells at the injection site and the mRNA is degraded in the cell once the protein is made so it does not cross the placenta.
As always, we’re here for you. If you have any additional questions, please reach out to our team at 856-596-2233.