MACON, Ga. — One reason for people refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine is their belief that it causes infertility. Is this belief credible? We verify.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, if you are pregnant, you can receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
They and other medical experts said there is currently no evidence that any vaccines, including COVID-19 vaccines, cause fertility problems.
Doctor Jennifer Hoffman, a Piedmont Medical Centers Infectious Disease Specialist, said this belief came from a discredited British scientist, "Who put out information that there is some similarity between one of the proteins found in the placenta and the spike protein that is found in the COVID virus. Now, it is true that the vaccine induces antibodies against the spike protein. However, I would also like to point out that getting COVID also produces antibodies against the spike protein," said Hoffman.
Hoffman said either way, your body would produce antibodies against the spike protein.
Also, according to the FDA, some women got pregnant while taking part in last year's clinical tests for the Pfizer vaccine.
"Women got pregnant accidentally while they were supposed to be on two forms of birth control during the COVID vaccine trials," said Hoffman.
Hoffman said that the vaccine is going to be many times safer than getting COVID while pregnant.
"If you get COVID while you are pregnant, there is a not negligible chance that you will end up in the ICU, possibly on a ventilator, that your baby might have to be delivered prematurely. Lots and lots of bad things can happen with COVID and pregnancy," said Hoffman.
So, the answer is no, there's no evidence that any of the COVID-19 vaccines causes infertility.
Hoffman said the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology strongly recommends all women who are pregnant, as well as those women planning a pregnancy, to get vaccinated.