Ongoing misinformation about the covid vaccine affecting the fertility of individuals has made some people hesitant about the shots.
Debunking The Misinformation, The Covid Vaccine Can Affect Fertility; Lifting The Barrier From Teenage Vaccination
Although there is no evidence supporting the belief, in a recent survey conducted in the U.K, it was observed that almost a quarter of young women did not want to get the shots fearing their fertility.
Medical experts urge people to consult their doctors in case of any confusion regarding the vaccines as they will be able to address the issue better rather than adopting some misinformation.
Circulation of a myth and its effects
The myth that the covid-9 vaccines can degenerate the fertility of an individual has been in circulation since the launch of the initial rounds of vaccination in 2020 December.
However, the circulation of misinformation has caught up over the recent weeks as more and more unreliable links, videos, and memes are being circulated claiming the vaccine can affect fertility among teenagers.
Health and medical experts firmly believe and put forward that there is no correlation between the fertility of an individual and the vaccine shots.
Recommendations have been issued by The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine and The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) to make the shots accessible to pregnant women.
The recommendation further rules out any safety concerns associated with the vaccinations.
The statements of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention imply that those planning a pregnancy can take the vaccines without any concerns.
No pregnancy tests are recommended either prior to the vaccination since there is no evidence that the shots can cause fertility complications.
As stated by Dr. Jose Mayorga, executive director of the Health Family Center at the University of California Irvine and assistant clinical professor of family medicine at the Medicine School of the University, several individuals became pregnant during the clinical trials indicating the vaccine does not have any effect on the fertility of a person.
In the United States, more than 100,000 pregnant individuals have been vaccinated so far.
The research was carried out on 35000 pregnant individuals who received the mRNA vaccine, and no effects were observed on the baby or the ongoing pregnancy.
However, the scientists associated with the study suggest regular follow-up be done to keep better monitoring on the health of the pregnant women and the babies.
The backbone of the myth.
Dr.Wolfgang Wodarg, a German physician expressed concerns about the mRNA vaccine in December 2020.
It was based on a protein component of the mRNA vaccine that is structurally similar to the protein syncytin-1, which is associated with the development of the placenta during pregnancy.
The sharing of genetic code between the spike protein and syncytin-1 raised the concern that it can potentially cause an immune response leading to damage to the placenta.
No evidence was found backing the misinformation, but the concern was publicized. More alarm was raised by proposing the idea that vaccines can access the genes of the individual and alter the DNA.
Such claims were further fueled by social media circulation and as a result, those having future plans of getting pregnant are apprehensive of the shots.
Battling the myth; forging the way ahead.
Healthcare and medical professionals are determined to address the fear and confusion among people by sharing the scientific details related to the vaccines and their working mechanism.
covid-19 is a lethal disease with both long and short-term side effects, that can be managed by appropriate medications.
Dr. Jill Rabin, an OB-GYN and professor at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in Manhasset, New York states that people have to be enlightened about the stakes of not taking the shots and shown that such circulating myth does not have any scientific or medical basis.
Those having any concerns should be assured by scientists, medical experts and encourage to talk to their physicians rather than believing in social media circulations.
