Reacción a "Anti-vax vaccination does not affect the success of assisted reproduction or the ability to conceive naturally: expert reaction"

Data on natural pregnancies among participants in vaccine clinical trials have been very reassuring from the outset, as pregnancies have been found to occur with the same frequency in both the vaccine and control groups. Moreover, no relevant deviations between pregnancies in vaccinated and non-vaccinated populations have been reported. This suggests that the vaccine does not negatively affect fertility.

However, pregnancies resulting from assisted reproduction techniques allow us to analyse reproductive details that are beyond the scope of epidemiological studies, such as how the ovary responds to reproductive hormones, if there are alterations in egg quality, if there are very early gestational losses (these losses go unnoticed in population-based studies because the pregnancy is interrupted in the first 2-3 weeks, before it is even recognised as such).

These details, which are discussed in the study by Aharon and colleagues, confirm and extend the evidence already available: there is no evidence that the vaccine has negative effects on fertility, even in a reproductively fragile population such as assisted reproduction patients.

The data available to the medical and scientific community since the beginning of mass vaccination programmes have always pointed to the fact that the vaccine does not affect fertility. However, it is important to continue to study this issue and confirm the data, as unfortunately there is still some resistance among those who are considering pregnancy, or who are already pregnant, to be vaccinated.

This reluctance is due to several factors, such as the lack of inclusion of pregnant women in vaccine clinical trials (which has been filled by real-world data once vaccination has become widespread), and the presence of transient menstrual cycle disturbances in many women after vaccination. This study adds to the evidence we have, and reinforces the indication to vaccinate.

It is worth remembering that while the vaccine does not affect fertility or pregnancy outcomes, developing covid-19 does carry an increased risk of hospitalisation in pregnant women, as well as a more severe course of the disease. New evidence indicates that covid-19 is also associated with ongoing pregnancy loss.

In summary, we see no adverse effects of the vaccine on the reproductive function of women, and it is important to be vaccinated to protect both mother and baby from severe forms of the disease.