Anyone not having CoVid vaccine because of IVF

[Hugzy]

Hi,
I'm just wondering if there is anyone who is not having the CoVid vaccine because of starting IVF?
We have opted to delay the start of IVF until March to allow for CoVid infection rates to go down. As my partner and I have decided against having the vaccine because of the lack of research and evidence around it.

Technically I could have it now as work for health care but my partner would have to wait until June.

I just feel somewhat alone in this decision, and could do with speaking to people in the same mind set.
I read an article about women in their 30s in Australia also querying the vac because there is no research around this area.

Thanks

Hi @Hugzy

My partner and I thought about it, he can actually have it where he works. However, my hematologist and gynecologist last week told me not to, simply because, as you said, there is no evidence of innocuity for my eggs or his sperm. Therefore we decided not to. I work from home, and he takes full precaution when going to work, wearing N95 masks all the time and cycling to work.

We are both scientists and agree with the Doctors not to get vaccinated, for now at least... There is absolutely no proof that the vaccine couldn't affect fertility, therefore we have decided to live in a bubble, as much as it is possible.

S.

I'm not a healthcare worker, but i'm due to be offered the vaccine in group 6 due to my asthma, so earlier than most my age who do not have underlying health conditions. I won't be having the jab though whilst doing IVF, as it's not recommended in pregnancy, or within 3 months of TTC as far as i remember. I'd rather not take the risk, even though my FET could fail and i could be in this TTC phase for a while, i just don't want to take anything that could harm the baby. I have had to come off some of my regular prescriptions for a couple of health issues that i have before FET, so i'm thinking if i can't even take established medicines which have been around for years, i don't want to risk a brand new vaccine.

I'm not anti vax BTW, i would have it under any other circumstances.

I've had it, as the risks of catching Covid and having complications outweighed the risks of the vaccine for me, due to my underlying health and my work. I discussed it with my fertility consultant in advance and she agreed with this course of action for me. Everyone's case is different though - under different circumstances I may well have made a different decision (eg if I could work from home).

I work as a physio in the NHS and haven't had it as I am due to start IVF next week. We spoke to my clinic they said as I am low risk (no health conditions) and even though I work in the NHS I don't work with covid positive patients. Prior to seeing patients we screen for covid and wear PPE. I am also doing lateral flow tests twice a week. Therefore I don't think I have a significant increased risk of catching covid. So as I am low risk and don't actively treat covid was agreed not to have the vaccine.

I’m also not having it. Although I’m still getting constant emails from HR! 😭 Hello fellow physio @Donimo 😎😀

I think at the end of the day it has to be a decision you're comfortable with!
Just to say re avoiding TTC for 3 months guidance is now that you don't need to delay TTC after the vaccine.
I was very conflicted about taking it and initially was planning not to for many of the reasons listed above, I am a health worker and personally felt my risks of covid were higher than than the vaccine so decided to get it in the end. My fertility consultant said it would be fine to get it.
But I agree with above I think if my risks of covid exposure were lower I might have made a different choice xx

Thanks all, I felt alone in the 'not having it' category, and agree that yes everyone's circumstances are different.

Those who are not having it, does it make you feel like me - a bit more secluded from the rest of the world? As everyone is so happy to have it and 'move on' even though we're still in lockdown.

@Hugzy its getting awkward at work with everyone asking as I am rubbish at lying. My line manager knows I am not having it due to IVF. But colleagues and friends keep asking if I've had the vaccine yet and I am running out of excuses... means everyone else at work had it over a month ago!

Oh this is interesting. I totally know how you feel, I have been really worried about it ever since it seemed likely we may actually get vaccinated this year & may actually get to start out icsi treatment this year.

I have been reading up on it loads looking at the news and scientific studies, and actually I came to the exact opposite conclusion...! Even though there has not been that much research on it yet, I would rather get vaccinated than not. It would be so stressful the whole year knowing I could catch it & potentially endanger baby.. and then god forbid I could even give it to baby when we finally manage to conceive!

Knowing all the work that's gone into it, and how other vaccines work, for the flu and mumps etc. I am willing trust that the vaccine will not be harmful. The government website says 'The early COVID-19 vaccines do not contain organisms that can multiply in the body, so they cannot infect an unborn baby in the womb.' and 'the World Health Organisation and the regulatory bodies in the USA, Canada and Europe and have raised no concerns about safety in pregnancy.'

The only reason they can't recommend it yet is because it hasn't been properly clinically tested. But I am completely planning to fight my doctors over it if anyone tries to suggest I should not get vaccinated or prevents me from getting vaccinated. I'll sign up for the trials, they are welcome to collect data on me!

I have had my first vac then due my second two day before my next IVF. I rang ask hospital where they stood on it. They advise me to get it as don't have underlying anything and I work with nursery age children and a disabled young adult. My first ivf was when clinic first open in October I worry so much about getting I feel better this time round just knowing I have it already one less thing to think of. If hospital had told me not to I wouldn't have gotten it.

The different takes on it are interesting, and confusing.
@Donimo I know how you feel. I keep saying I need to speak to my doctor because I had a reaction to something when I was younger. True but how long til they ask what my doctor said.
But there is a lady at work who is not having it and waiting to see how everyone reacts. So there's always that stance/excuse I guess.

It's a tricky one for sure.

Literally just by chance saw this article this morning... wasn't even looking for it (coincidence!!)

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-56012529

✋🏻 Another one here not having it at the moment due to starting ICSI treatment this month - am eligible for it as work as nurse but I am just being super careful with social distancing, wearing PPE and washing my hands frequently whilst at work, before leaving work and first thing I do when I arrive home - it was a difficult decision to make but I have tried to minimise risk as much as possible e.g stop working bank shifts in areas where I know patients to be covid positive. I work in outpatients (we are trying to do as many telephone appointments as possible) and we have weekly PCR testing too.

I would really take the vaccine if you can. You have no guarantee your first ivf will work. I am now onto ivf 5 and I wish I could just get the vaccine. It’s now turned out I will need steroids for my first 3 months of pregnancy as I have some immune issue so I will have an even more compromised immune system and high risk of covid and the stress of that is not going to be good if I am pregnant..

In addition I think you are all underestimating the impact of covid on fertility. If your DH gets covid a high temperature could ruin his sperm for 3 months.

I myself can attest to the potential impact of covid on fertility. I had an AFC of 12 for my first ivf (male factor) on my first round my DH sperm was awful so we got no embryos as all arrested on day 5 indicating male factor. We took 6 months off to improve his sperm (long story) and were due to go again in March 2020 when I got all covid symptoms and was too sick to start (this was pre tests so it could’ve not been covid but I am convince it was as I had all the symptoms and was sick for around 4 days so not even severe so if it wasn’t covid the impact on my subsequent ivf was large). We delayed my 2nd ivf by 2 months. When we did it I had 1 Antral follicle on each ovary and got 4 eggs and no embryos from that cycle. They all arrested in day 2. I then did a 3rd round 3 months later and my AFC was 7. I got 2 embryos from that round but lots didn’t fertilise.

I did round 4 6 months after having potential covid and my AF went back to normal at 12, got 13 eggs.

So you are also taking a risk if you get covid on your fertility. If you could take the vaccine and just delay by a month I think that would be the best of both worlds.

@AnonymousXXIX and @Hoping1
I understand everyone has different perspectives on this. I think maybe if I was in the more vulnerable category I may feel differently.

@Donimo that is an interesting read.
This is the article that led me to write this thread...
www.theguardian.com/society/2021/jan/31/there-is-a-lot-of-distrust-why-women-in-their-30s-are-hesitant-about-the-covid-vaccine

@Donimo and @JandL2020
If it wasn't for our jobs and being able to get the vaccine sooner obvs we would be going ahead with IVF as we are now. If we were standard citizens we wouldn't face this connundrum until at least May/June (based on Omni calculator results.

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists issued a statement on covid vaccines and fertility:

"There is no evidence to suggest that COVID-19 vaccines will affect fertility. Claims of any effect of COVID-19 vaccination on fertility are speculative and not supported by any data. There's no biologically plausible mechanism by which current vaccines would cause any impact on women's fertility."

I didn't see the actual post by RCOG but my clinic posted about it on Instagram.

www.instagram.com/p/CK_WFCdLR0C/

@Hugzy you’re so lucky to have the chance to get it early. You could be going into pregnancy fully vaccinated with no worries. I would really think carefully about turning that down!

@Anyoneelsewilldo @Folklore9074
Chances are that if it is safe I will be safe to have it when/if pregnant also.

The problem with the statements is that they are speculative and there is also no evidence to suggest that the vaccine won't affect fertility.

I'm glad that I'm not alone in this decision @Donimo and @JandL2020 . It is hard isn't it. Was your main reason for not having it due to the lack of research also?

Thing is, if you test CoVid positive prior to egg collection, then egg collection is cancelled. That also rings alarm bells to me.

“The problem with the statements is that they are speculative and there is also no evidence to suggest that the vaccine won't affect fertility.”

@Hugzy the problem with the above statement is that they are a multitude of things that there is no evidence to suggest they affect fertility. The absence of evidence is not proof that they do or do not affect fertility as this can only be conclusively determined via a RCT and surely you can see how difficult an RCT on fertility would be to organise - nigh on impossible to do correctly which is why they haven’t done it.

I mean what evidence do you have that it does affect fertility that you believe exists only for covid vaccine and not for, say a tetanus shot, a yellow fever vaccine or malaria tablets that many women get prior to going on a honeymoon in South Africa/Vietnam to ttc. There is no proven evidence that they don’t affect fertility too. The assumption is why would they and that assumption is the same for covid. Why would this vaccine affect fertility but the flu shot and all of the above wouldn’t... ?

Again the absence of evidence is not proof they affect fertility. It’s a frankly quite odd assumption that has been made about covid vaccine as clearly someone said in a press briefing ‘what’s the impact on fertility’ they replied we don’t know meaning it hasn’t been assessed and then everyone said oh they don’t know so maybe it does affect fertility.

www.google.ie/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/amp/health-56012529

“ there is no "plausible biological mechanism" by which the vaccine could affect your fertility, says Prof Lucy Chappell, a professor in obstetrics at King's College London and spokesperson for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.”

www.webmd.com/vaccines/covid-19-vaccine/news/20210112/why-covid-vaccines-are-falsely-linked-to-infertility

“ The coronavirus’s spike protein and syncytin-1 share small stretches of the same genetic code, but not enough to make them a match. She says it would be like two people having phone numbers that both contain the number 7. You couldn’t dial one number to reach the other person, even though their phone numbers shared a digit.”

@Hugzy there are a couple of reasons why I am not having the vaccine. Firstly if I have the first dose now I wouldn't be able to have the second dose until after my IVF. Which if successful would mean I was pregnant and advice for pregnancy is to have it only if high risk patient or high risk of catching covid which I am not. And there has yet to be any research on affect of vaccine during pregnancy and I maybe selfish but don't want to be the first.

Secondly the evidence of risks of covid for myself even during pregnancy is low. www.who.int/news/item/01-09-2020-new-research-helps-to-increase-understanding-of-the-impact-of-covid-19-for-pregnant-women-and-their-babies

There has been more research into affects of covid during pregnancy than there has been on the vaccine in pregnancy.

Finally the nurse I spoke to at my clinic said in my situation it would not be reccomended to have the vaccine. But obviously things change all the time.

Everyone has to way up there own options and situations with medical advice.

Hi @Donimo the advice during pregnancy is to take the vaccine between 14-33 weeks but not before or after. This has been updated nearly a month ago from the previous advice of not taking it during pregnancy. Just to let you know.

My clinic have said if I choose to be vaccinated they would not do a transfer until after I've had the second dose.
I'm low risk for coronavirus so would prefer not to delay IVF any further.
I work from home and can easily isolate.

I think part of the reason why it can be so difficult is that there's conflicting messages about so many aspects of this pandemic and a lack of trust in, eg, government decision-making. Personally, I read through all the available research data I could find in order to make my decision, but the decision I came to was for me in my own circumstances rather than something I would feel confident recommending to others in different circumstances.