As more people in the United States can be vaccinated for COVID-19, vaccines are not believed to have any “significant impact” on fertility, according to Dr. Jennifer Ashton, chief medical editor for ABC News and certified OBGYN . .
The myth that COVID-19 vaccines can negatively impact fertility has been widely publicized on social media, according to Ashton.
In the United States, a greater proportion of women than men are concerned about the safety and possible side effects of the COVID-19 vaccines, according to a report by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), a nonprofit organization focused on health issues. About 13% of respondents to the KFF survey in January said they believed or were unsure whether the COVID-19 vaccines were shown to cause infertility.
“This myth of causing infertility, if that were the case, we would see many miscarriages in women who were naturally infected with COVID,” said Ashton on Wednesday in “Good Morning America”. “In the OBGYN area, [there is] there is really no basis for any of this at this point. “
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Pfizer and BioNTech were the first to evaluate their COVID-19 vaccine in pregnant women when they announced a new trial last week.
Their vaccine, along with Moderna, is the two mRNA vaccines currently available in the United States after receiving the Emergency Use Authorization from the Food and Drug Administration.
MRNA technology does not enter the cell nucleus and does not alter human DNA. Instead, it sends out a genetic instruction manual that stimulates cells to create proteins for the body to learn and develop defenses against future infections.
They are the first mRNA vaccines, theoretically safe during pregnancy, as they do not contain live viruses.
Moderna has not yet publicly released a schedule for the inclusion of pregnant women in clinical trials.
Since pregnant women have not been actively included in final-stage clinical trials for vaccines, there is no real data to date on the impact of COVID-19 vaccines on pregnancy.
However, some 20,000 women became pregnant at some point at the time they were vaccinated, according to Ashton, who added: “There were no undesirable side effects or safety signs in this group.”
“There are some published studies that suggest that pregnant women can transfer antibodies to protect their fetus,” said Ashton. “We certainly saw that in women who were naturally infected and we hope to see that in vaccinated women as well.”
The question of whether a pregnant woman should receive a COVID-19 vaccine will ultimately come down to a number of factors, including everything from the quarter, risk factors for COVID-19, the ability to remain socially detached in her lifestyle and occupation, guidance from federal and state officials and recommendations from the woman’s own doctors, experts say.
Similar to the flu vaccine, which has not been tested on pregnant women in clinical trials, health experts will need to rely on continuously received data to make decisions about how safe COVID-19 vaccines are during pregnancy.
“When the FDA granted the authorization, they had only about two months of long-term data. Now it’s about four months,” said Ashton. “They are continuing to follow women, including women who became pregnant after being enrolled in clinical trials, and will follow for two years, so this is something that will continue.”
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The World Health Organization (WHO) recently updated its guidance to say that pregnant women at high risk of exposure to COVID-19 and those at risk of serious illness should be vaccinated.
“Although pregnancy puts women at greater risk for severe COVID-19, little data is available to assess the safety of the vaccine in pregnancy,” said the WHO in a statement. “However, based on what we know about this type of vaccine, we have no specific reason to believe that there will be specific risks that outweigh the benefits of vaccination for pregnant women. For this reason, those pregnant women are at high risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 (for example, healthcare professionals) or who have comorbidities that increase the risk of serious illness, can be vaccinated in consultation with their doctor. “
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The CDC says that pregnant and breastfeeding women “can choose to be vaccinated” and should talk to their doctor, noting that breastfeeding is an important consideration, but “is rarely a safety concern with vaccines”.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), a professional organization for obstetric gynecologists, says that pregnant and breastfeeding women should have access to the vaccine when they are eligible, according to the criteria of the CDC Immunization Practices Advisory Committee (ACIP) .
Likewise, the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Society (SMFM) recommends that pregnant women have access to vaccines and says that pregnant women should “get involved in shared decision-making” about the vaccine with their doctors.
“In general, SMFM strongly recommends that pregnant women have access to COVID-19 vaccines at all stages of future vaccination campaigns and that she and her healthcare professional participate in shared decision-making regarding receiving the vaccine. … mRNA The vaccines, which are likely to be the first available, do not contain a live virus, but induce a humoral and cellular immune response through the use of viral mRNA, “the society said in its statement. “Healthcare professionals should also advise their patients that the theoretical risk of fetal harm from mRNA vaccines is very low.”
COVID-19 vaccines do not appear to have an impact on fertility, says the expert, originally appeared on goodmorningamerica.com