Key TakeawaysA new NIH-funded study further shows that getting vaccinated does not affect fertility.Both male and female participants did not experience significant changes to fertility post-vaccination.The COVID-19 vaccines can actually help prevent risks to maternal and fetal health.

Key Takeaways

A new NIH-funded study further shows that getting vaccinated does not affect fertility.Both male and female participants did not experience significant changes to fertility post-vaccination.The COVID-19 vaccines can actually help prevent risks to maternal and fetal health.

When the COVID-19 vaccine first became available in the U.S. in December 2020, it wasn’t long before misinformation started spreading on social media. Fears that the vaccines potentiallycause infertilityhas proliferated widely on the internet.

“When the COVID vaccine first came out, we started hearing concerns that the vaccines could affect fertility,“Amelia Wesselink, PhD, lead researcher and research assistant professor of epidemiology at BUSPH, told Verywell. “There isn’t any biological reason to expect the vaccine to affect fertility, but people clearly wanted data on time-to-pregnancy after vaccination, and we were in a good position to research this question using data fromPRESTO, which is our online study of couples trying to conceive.”

No, COVID Vaccines Can’t Cause Infertility in Kids

Vaccination Didn’t Lead to Changes in Fertility

The research team studied more than 2,000 people between the ages of 21 to 45 years old. Study participants identified as female, living in the United States or Canada between December 2020 to September 2021.

Participants completed a questionnaire regarding:

Their male partners aged 21 or older were also invited to complete a similar questionnaire. The female subjects completed follow-up questionnaires every eight weeks until they became pregnant, or up to 12 months if they did not.

Both male and female participants had a similar rate of vaccination: 73% of the women had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine during the study and 74% of men had at least one shot.

Researchers found there were no differences in the chances of conception if either male or female partner had been vaccinated, compared to unvaccinated couples.

Study: COVID Infection Does Not Affect Fertility or IVF Treatment

Among the couples studied, females who had received at least one dose of the vaccine before a given menstrual cycle showed a slight increase (8%) in conception, compared with unvaccinated participants. Females that were fully vaccinated—two doses of Pfizer or Moderna, or one dose of Johnson & Johnson—also showed a slight increase in conception (7%).

However, male participants showed few changes. Males that received at least one dose showed a slight increase in conception (5%). Fully vaccinated males conceived at the exact rate as unvaccinated males.

Researchers say based on these results, vaccination status does not have a statistically significant effect on a couple’s or individual’s chances of conception.

Other studies support these findings. Research published in the Journal of theAmerican Medical Association (JAMA)and in theF&S Reportsshows that vaccination does not impact male or female fertility treatment outcomes.

The study also found that testing positive for the COVID-19 infection overall was not associated with a difference in conception. However, couples had a slightly lower chance of conception if the male partner had been infected with COVID-19 within 60 days before the menstrual cycle—suggesting that COVID-19 could temporarily reduce male fertility. There was no impact if male partners had an infection at least 60 days prior.

Previous studies have also found that men who contract COVID-19 are more likely to experienceerectile dysfunctionthan those who don’t.

What This Means For YouMultiple studies have now shown that getting vaccinated against COVID-19 does not make it more difficult to conceive a child. If you haven’t gotten vaccinated, you can find an appointment near youhere.

What This Means For You

Multiple studies have now shown that getting vaccinated against COVID-19 does not make it more difficult to conceive a child. If you haven’t gotten vaccinated, you can find an appointment near youhere.

Long-Term Effects Are Unlikely

The researchers did not provide a conclusion regarding the long-term effects of vaccination on fertility, but they claimed it is unlikely that adverse effects on fertility could arise months after vaccination.

“Based on what we know about biology and how the immune system works, there isn’t any reason to suspect that any effects of the vaccine—positive or negative—would emerge beyond a couple of months,” Wesselink said.

But she adds her research team is working to analyze data to address questions and concerns regarding potential links between the vaccine and miscarriages or birth defects.

Study: Erectile Dysfunction Is 5 Times More Likely in Men Who’ve Had COVID-19

“In the meantime, there are a handful of other studies out there that have shown no increased risk of miscarriage after vaccination,” Wesselink added. One NIH study found no increased risk of miscarriages back in September 2021.

The researchers are also looking at how vaccination can influence menstrual function and how COVID-19 itself can influence pregnancy health.

The information in this article is current as of the date listed, which means newer information may be available when you read this. For the most recent updates on COVID-19, visit ourcoronavirus news page.

5 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Wesselink A, Hatch E, Rothman K, et al.A prospective cohort study of COVID-19 vaccination, SARS-CoV-2 infection, and fertility.Am J Epidemiol. 2022. doi:10.1093/aje/kwac011Gonzalez D, Nassau D, Khodamoradi K, et al.Sperm parameters before and after COVID-19 mRNA vaccination.JAMA. 2021;326(3):273. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.9976Morris R.SARS-CoV-2 spike protein seropositivity from vaccination or infection does not cause sterility.F S Rep. 2021;2(3):253-255. doi:10.1016/j.xfre.2021.05.010Sansone A, Mollaioli D, Ciocca G, et al.“Mask up to keep it up”: Preliminary evidence of the association between erectile dysfunction and COVID-19.Andrology. 2021;9(4):1053-1059. doi:10.1111/andr.13003Zauche L, Wallace B, Smoots A, et al.Receipt of mRNA Covid-19 vaccines and risk of spontaneous abortion.New England Journal of Medicine. 2021;385(16):1533-1535. doi:10.1056/nejmc2113891

5 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Wesselink A, Hatch E, Rothman K, et al.A prospective cohort study of COVID-19 vaccination, SARS-CoV-2 infection, and fertility.Am J Epidemiol. 2022. doi:10.1093/aje/kwac011Gonzalez D, Nassau D, Khodamoradi K, et al.Sperm parameters before and after COVID-19 mRNA vaccination.JAMA. 2021;326(3):273. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.9976Morris R.SARS-CoV-2 spike protein seropositivity from vaccination or infection does not cause sterility.F S Rep. 2021;2(3):253-255. doi:10.1016/j.xfre.2021.05.010Sansone A, Mollaioli D, Ciocca G, et al.“Mask up to keep it up”: Preliminary evidence of the association between erectile dysfunction and COVID-19.Andrology. 2021;9(4):1053-1059. doi:10.1111/andr.13003Zauche L, Wallace B, Smoots A, et al.Receipt of mRNA Covid-19 vaccines and risk of spontaneous abortion.New England Journal of Medicine. 2021;385(16):1533-1535. doi:10.1056/nejmc2113891

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Wesselink A, Hatch E, Rothman K, et al.A prospective cohort study of COVID-19 vaccination, SARS-CoV-2 infection, and fertility.Am J Epidemiol. 2022. doi:10.1093/aje/kwac011Gonzalez D, Nassau D, Khodamoradi K, et al.Sperm parameters before and after COVID-19 mRNA vaccination.JAMA. 2021;326(3):273. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.9976Morris R.SARS-CoV-2 spike protein seropositivity from vaccination or infection does not cause sterility.F S Rep. 2021;2(3):253-255. doi:10.1016/j.xfre.2021.05.010Sansone A, Mollaioli D, Ciocca G, et al.“Mask up to keep it up”: Preliminary evidence of the association between erectile dysfunction and COVID-19.Andrology. 2021;9(4):1053-1059. doi:10.1111/andr.13003Zauche L, Wallace B, Smoots A, et al.Receipt of mRNA Covid-19 vaccines and risk of spontaneous abortion.New England Journal of Medicine. 2021;385(16):1533-1535. doi:10.1056/nejmc2113891

Wesselink A, Hatch E, Rothman K, et al.A prospective cohort study of COVID-19 vaccination, SARS-CoV-2 infection, and fertility.Am J Epidemiol. 2022. doi:10.1093/aje/kwac011

Gonzalez D, Nassau D, Khodamoradi K, et al.Sperm parameters before and after COVID-19 mRNA vaccination.JAMA. 2021;326(3):273. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.9976

Morris R.SARS-CoV-2 spike protein seropositivity from vaccination or infection does not cause sterility.F S Rep. 2021;2(3):253-255. doi:10.1016/j.xfre.2021.05.010

Sansone A, Mollaioli D, Ciocca G, et al.“Mask up to keep it up”: Preliminary evidence of the association between erectile dysfunction and COVID-19.Andrology. 2021;9(4):1053-1059. doi:10.1111/andr.13003

Zauche L, Wallace B, Smoots A, et al.Receipt of mRNA Covid-19 vaccines and risk of spontaneous abortion.New England Journal of Medicine. 2021;385(16):1533-1535. doi:10.1056/nejmc2113891

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