Findings on the COVID vaccine and pregnancy show vaccination does not reduce chances of having a child
Dr. Nanette Santoro spoke with Denver’s CBS4 about the COVID vaccine and pregnancy, saying the study should encourage people trying to conceive to get vaccinated.
A new study from the National Institutes of Health suggests that among the more than 2,000 couples involved in the study, there were no differences in the chances of conception if either the male or female partner had been vaccinated compared with unvaccinated couples. Couples also had a slightly lower chance of conception if the male partner had been infected with COVID-19 within 60 days before a menstrual cycle in which pregnancy was attempted, suggesting that COVID-19 could temporarily reduce male fertility.
“There’s quite a bit of vaccine hesitancy in women who want to get pregnant. A lot feel their body is a temple, and they don’t want to do anything. Only 31% of women who are pregnant are vaccinated nationally,” she said.
“This should make them feel better about protecting themselves and their baby. This sample size is one of the largest we’ve seen,” said Dr. Santoro.