These findings by researchers at the Boston University School of Public Health are therefore clearly in favor of vaccination once morest COVID-19. The study, prospective, which followed couples trying to conceive, indeed does not identify any association between the COVID-19 vaccination and fecundability or the probability of conception per menstrual cycle, whether in female or male partners and whether they received the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson.
COVID-19 infection in men may temporarily reduce fertility
This last result, the authors suggest, might also be prevented by vaccination: “Many people of childbearing age say that their concerns regarding fertility are one of the reasons they do not get vaccinated,” comments the author. lead author, Dr. Amelia Wesselink, professor of epidemiology at Boston University. “Our study shows that
the time to pregnancy is very similar regardless of vaccination status”.
The Presto study: These findings are from survey data of COVID-19 vaccination and infection, and fecundability, among female and male participants in the Presto Online Pregnancy Study, an NIH-supported study that follows of women trying to conceive from preconception up to 6 months postpartum. The study Presto thus followed until November 2021, 2,126 participants in the United States and analyzed their sociodemographic data, lifestyle, health results as well as the health data of their partners. The researchers calculated the probability of conception by menstrual cycle using participants’ self-reported dates of last menstrual period, typical menstrual cycle length, and pregnancy status. The analysis finds that:
- fertility rates among participants who received at least one dose of a vaccine are nearly identical to those of unvaccinated participants;
- fecundability is also found to be similar for male partners who received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine vs other unvaccinated male participants;
- taking into account the number of doses of vaccine, brand of vaccine, history of infertility, occupation and geographic region did not change these conclusions;
- while COVID-19 infection is not strongly associated with fertility, men who test positive for COVID within 60 days of a given cycle have reduced fertility compared to men who never tested positive or men who tested positive at least 60 days previously; These data are in line with findings from previous research indicating a link between COVID-19 infection and poor semen quality and other reproductive dysfunctions.
The study thus provides first reassuring evidence on the lack of effect of vaccination once morest COVID on the fertility of couples trying to conceive.