COVID-19 vaccines do not affect the chances of having a child, NIH says

LOS ANGELES - Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 does not impact one’s chances of conceiving a child, the National Institutes of Health reported on Thursday.

That’s according to a new study, funded by the NIH, analyzing data of more than 2,000 couples. Researchers say they found no evidence that a vaccine for COVID-19 negates or improves the chances of having a baby for either a male or female partner. "Researchers found no differences in the chances of conception if either male or female partner had been vaccinated, compared to unvaccinated couples," the NIH wrote.

However, researchers noted that couples had a slightly lower chance of conception if the male partner fell ill with COVID-19 within 60 days before a menstrual cycle.

This suggests that SARS-CoV-2, the disease that causes COVID-19 could temporarily reduce male fertility, according to the NIH. "The findings provide reassurance that vaccination for couples seeking pregnancy does not appear to impair fertility," said Diana Bianchi, M.D., director of NIH’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, which funded the study. "They also provide information for physicians who counsel patients hoping to conceive."Despite the small findings that male fertility could be affected by a COVID-19 infection, scientists say they found no major differences in conception rates per menstrual cycle between unvaccinated and vaccinated couples in which at least one partner had received at least one dose of the vaccine."Overall, testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection was not associated with a difference in conception.