As more and more people around the world are receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, questions remain about their safety, especially for those who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant.
The FDA said that, based on the lack of testing of pregnant women, it does not recommend that the vaccine be administered during pregnancy at this time. But what about those planning to become pregnant? Should they also avoid Pfizer or Moderna vaccines?
Although experts in the UK have advised against vaccinating people planning to become pregnant within three months after the first dose, such a recommendation has not been made in the USA.
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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “women who are trying to conceive do not need to avoid pregnancy after receiving a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine”. The agency added that “routine testing for pregnancy before vaccination with COVID-19 is not recommended.”
However, recent concerns have emerged that the Pfizer vaccine could lead to infertility in women because, according to such claims, it contains a peak protein that is similar to the proteins that make up the placenta – the fear is that when the vaccine triggers a immune response against the peak protein, called syncytine-1, can also attack these placenta-forming proteins.
Fortunately, health experts say there is no evidence that the vaccine could result in the sterilization of women – the two proteins in question are not similar enough for the body’s immune system to confuse them.
University of Reading virology professor Ian Jones said that syncytine-1 “has nothing to do with SARS [spike] protein “and the risk of infertility is” therefore essentially fictitious “.
“Rumors that the Pfizer vaccine results in female sterilization because it contains a peak protein known as syncytine-1 are false,” experts at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center said in a comprehensive analysis of myths and facts about the COVID- vaccine. 19. “The vaccine does not contain this protein.”
Others still believe that the absence of evidence is not enough to allay fears that the data may eventually show an impact on fertility, once they are studied more explicitly. As with advice for pregnant women, the CDC suggests that those concerned about safety should consult their doctor. “If they have doubts about how to be vaccinated, a discussion with a healthcare professional can help them make an informed decision.”