This Is the Truth: Fertility is Unaffected by COVID-19 Vaccines

Claims that COVID-19 vaccines can cause infertility are circulating on social media and among some concerned individuals. Cincinnati Children’s wants to let you know such claims are totally untrue.

This is the truth: There is zero scientifically based evidence that vaccines affect fertility.

And that goes for men as well as women.

Here are some additional truths about COVID-19 vaccines and pregnancy:

• During the COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials, participants were asked to not get pregnant. Despite this request, 23 women became pregnant after receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine as part of the clinical trials.

• No adverse effects were reported by those women.

Pfizer also launched a separate clinical trial involving healthy pregnant women to continue to gather evidence on safety and efficacy.

In addition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has developed a site to collect information on COVID-19 related side effects. About 24,000 pregnant women have enrolled in that CDC registry as of May 2, 2022.

In the enrolled population, there have been 275 completed pregnancies, including 232 live births. The registry shows no difference in miscarriage, stillbirth, pregnancy complications, or neonatal outcomes between background rates and pregnant vaccinated individuals.

Vaccine safety data will continue to be collected for pregnant women, and follow-up is planned for the first year of infant life.

COVID-19 Vaccination Recommended for Pregnant Women

The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, a leading professional membership organization for obstetrician-gynecologists, recommends that pregnant women have access to COVID-19 vaccines. Additionally, the group stated that pregnant individuals should not be denied COVID-19 vaccines because of their pregnancy status alone.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been vaccinated as part of clinical trials – and millions of Americans have been safely vaccinated through the Emergency Use Authorization of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Safety was closely monitored during the clinical trials and, as part of the Emergency Use Authorization, continues to be monitored closely by the FDA and the CDC.

The side effects that have been reported most commonly with the vaccines are pain at the injection site, headache and fatigue. Fevers and chills have been unusual, occurring in less than three in 100 people.

All of the above demonstrates the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines, that the vaccines do not prevent pregnancy, and the belief of a professional organization of obstetricians that pregnant women should be vaccinated against COVID-19.

More Key Facts about COVID-19 Vaccines

To finish, we also would like to dispel some other untrue statements about COVID-19 vaccines.

The truth about COVID-19 vaccines is that:

• They DON’T affect your DNA.
• They DON’T contain stem cells.
• They CAN’T give you COVID-19.

The vaccines DO protect you against the infection.

COVID-19 already has killed over one million Americans – including hundreds of children and thousands of young adults who may have been ready to start their own families.

We don’t want one more person to become sick or die from the infection.

So, please don’t let yourself be scared into not protecting yourself and your family.

COVID-19 is dangerous, and the benefits of vaccines are proven.

If you have questions about any vaccines, talk to your own medical doctor or your child’s pediatrician.

Reviewed by Robert Frenck, MD, director of the Vaccine Research Center at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.