As state and federal officials work to streamline the distribution of Moderna and Pfizer vaccines to health professionals and residents of long-term care facilities, experts fear that a dangerous myth linking COVID-19 vaccines to infertility may further undermine efforts to apply them safely and quickly. Since then, Facebook has flagged posts containing the myth, labeling them “false information” – and in a statement to Yahoo Life, a Pfizer spokesman denied the allegations. But to help clear up any confusion, here’s an analysis of what you need to know.
Where did the idea that COVID-19 vaccines cause infertility come from?
The myth originated in a letter written by two scientists that was later shared on Facebook in posts claiming that the “Pfizer research chief” said the vaccine “causes female sterilization” because it contains a protein crucial to the development of the placenta. Later iterations of the myth claimed that the vaccine cannot to contain that placental protein (known as syncytine-1), but that the genetic sequence it contains is so similar to the placental protein that it will confuse the body and cause it to attack both.
What’s wrong with this theory?
On the one hand, the supposed source of information is incorrect. The concept was not suggested by the Pfizer research chief, but by two individuals not affiliated with Pfizer: one is a scientist named Michael Yeadon who left Pfizer 10 years ago and made several baseless claims about the pandemic, including one in November when he declared that the pandemic was “effectively over” and that vaccines were unnecessary. Its co-author is a German doctor named Dr. Wolfgang Wodarg, who also spread incorrect information during the pandemic, including a video in late April in which he called COVID-19 “harmless”.
In addition to the incorrect attribution, experts say that the claims themselves are false. “Rumors saying they are using placental protein instead of spike protein, this is totally wrong,” said Richard Kennedy, an immunologist and co-director of the Mayo Clinic Vaccine Research Group. Kennedy says the idea that the genetic sequence of the spike protein is very similar to the genetic sequence of syncytine-1 is also wrong. “The amount of resemblance is minimal,” says Kennedy.
What does “peak protein” refer to and why is it important?
Pfizer and Moderna vaccines use a new approach to immunity known as messenger RNA (mRNA), which – unlike Facebook posts that foster fear – is considered safer than previous vaccines. Rather than relying on live or disabled viruses, mRNA vaccines use the genetic sequence of the spike protein, which is found on the surface of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, to trigger an immune response.
As the Center for Disease Control and Prevention explains, the instructions for building the spike protein allow the body to “recognize that the protein does not belong there and start building an immune response and producing antibodies”. It is not only faster and less expensive than vaccines containing viruses, but also more accurate. As with any vaccine, there is a chance of rare complications, but in the seven years that the technology has been tested in humans, no long-term side effects have been reported.
How do we know it doesn’t look like placental protein?
Kennedy says that the protein spike has about 1,300 amino acids, which fold to form the protein; of these, only four overlap syncytine-1. “I tried an online tool that compares protein sequences – it couldn’t even align the two proteins to compare them, because they were different,” he says. Furthermore, if the protein peak was in some way similar to sincitin-1 to cause the immune system to attack both, so all women who contracted COVID-19 would be infertile.
“The peak of protein is not just limited to the vaccine,” says Kennedy. “[If this myth were true], that would mean that all people infected with COVID-19 would have an immune response to the same peak protein and therefore all would be infertile as well. ”After a year of pandemic, the researchers found no evidence that COVID-19 causes infertility in women. In fact, a study published in JAMA in November, she compared the results of pregnancy in women who developed severe COVID-19 and those who tested negative for the virus, concluding: “SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnancy is not associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes”.
What did Pfizer and Moderna say about the claims?
In a statement to Yahoo Life, a Pfizer spokesman said “there is no data” to support this hypothesis. “It has been incorrectly suggested that the COVID-19 vaccines will cause infertility because of a very short amino acid sequence in the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein that is partially shared with the placental protein, syncytine-1,” wrote the spokesman. “The sequence, however, is so short, not even 4 amino acids in a row, but 4 shared amino acids in a sequence of 5 that it is very unlikely that it can cause the body to generate an immune response that would result in the body attacking the yourself or the placenta. Moderna did not respond to Yahoo Life’s request for comment.
So, is it safe for those who want to get pregnant to get the COVID-19 vaccine?
Kennedy says there is no reason to believe that vaccines are not safe for women who want to become pregnant. “There were 23 women in the Pfizer trial and 13 in the Moderna trial who were pregnant,” he says, noting that these trials typically do not involve pregnant women, but that were not detected during the exam or became pregnant later. “None of them had any problems. There was a spontaneous abortion in the Pfizer study, but it was someone who received a placebo, and two abortions in Moderna, both on the placebo. “
In addition, other experts noted that contracting COVID-19 during pregnancy carries risks. “Pregnant women are at a higher risk of serious illnesses caused by COVID-19 and death,” notes the CDC on its website. For all these reasons, Kennedy says people should think twice before believing what they read on social media. “I suggest being very careful about what information you choose to believe and … and disbelieve,” says Kennedy. “You must examine the information and sources very carefully. A random Facebook post from a stranger is probably less reliable than talking to an expert, your doctor or healthcare professional. “
To latest coronavirus news and updates, follow on https://news.yahoo.com/coronavirus. According to experts, people over 60 and immunocompromised continue to be at greater risk. If you have questions, consult the CDC’s and Who is it resource guides.
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