43 about to start ivf ... vaccine yes or no

[Beccaboo77]

Hi I’m 43 and going to IVF last chance saloon before I close my ttc chapter, no with covid and vaccine being important to have along with IVF being important .... anyone just going to have the vaccine whilst in treatment?

Hi @Beccaboo77 this topic has been discussed a few times, if you’re called for the vaccine then the choice is.

1.Get some extra protection, that reduces the risk you’ll experience severe covid-19 and you don’t want severe covid in pregnancy. You’ll also be protecting those you come into contact with. We know a lot about vaccines, they are very safe.

Or 2. don’t get the vaccine, put yourself at a higher risk of infection and therefore a higher chance of your cycle getting cancelled if you get covid.

The choice was pretty clear for me, my 2nd dose is due in my treatment cycle and I know getting it is by far the safest thing for me, a pregnancy and everyone around me.

I hope everything goes well with your treatment.

Yes, without question take the vaccine

Absolutely take it when offered. They've said it's safe for pregnant and TTC women. Couldn't put it better than @Gardenlady543

I've had the first vaccine. FET due in a few months. It's completely safe and I don't have to be as afraid of catching covid and having my treatment cancelled. I don't think I could relax knowing that was a very real possibility. I'd also feel like shit if I got pregnant and caught covid knowing I could potentially have avoided it.

Good luck with your treatment 🙂

Thank you so much , I’ve asked the clinic and they don’t really give a answer and as you say I wouldn’t like to catch covid mid treatment or worse when pregnant ... such a minefield

Thank you

@Beccaboo77 it’s annoying that some fertility clinics aren’t giving proper advice about the vaccine. My clinic is very positive about the vaccine on their website, but they aren’t actively telling patients to get vaccinated. Weighing up how safe vaccines are and how dangerous Covid is, it seems to be an easy decision to me, but not at all helpful for patients when the clinics aren’t clear.

@Gardenlady543 i just get guided to the website I understand why they aren’t advising but thank you ladies I feel more confident in what I will be doing

I'm on the fence. On one hand I believe that vaccination is important, on the other I'm afraid of the combination IVF and the covid vaccine. I don't want to mess anything up, and have to have a second round of IVF. At the same time I know I'll mess everything up if I get sick
Good luck with whichever you decide!

@vet7 the vaccine isn’t going to have any impact on IVF treatment. There is no biologically plausible mechanism for this. And yes you’re right, if you got Covid there would be a massive impact, I’m seeing several young healthy people each week with long covid, they are in a horrendous state and their symptoms have been ongoing for months, they can’t get up a flight of stairs they’re so short of breath, they are constantly coughing and too fatigued to do even the most basic housework tasks. Your cycle will obviously be cancelled if you got Covid as well.

I've been offered the vaccine and I do want to have it, but I've been advised that if I have it and then get pregnant (currently going through a FET) then I won't be able to have the second dose, but also if I have the vaccine and then get side effects like fever etc I won't be allowed in the clinic anyways and fet would be cancelled.

@elsaesmeralda it so so hard what are you going to do ?

I'm leaving it for now as I'm having a fet hopefully next week so can't have it now anyways, the way I see it is if I do get pregnant this time I can't have the second dose anyways so the first one would have been a waste ! And if I don't get pregnant then I can try squeeze the vaccine in in between fets!

Well, not a waste as it obviously some protection is of course better than none. I was basically advised against it (but told I can do what I want so long as it's before treatment)

@elsaesmeralda who has told you you can’t have the second dose if you get pregnant? That isn’t correct.

@Gardenlady543 some clinics, vaccination centres and even health boards/trusts are still using that policy. When I went for my vaccine I got the same information - that anyone getting pregnant in between vaccinations wouldn't be given the second vaccine.

It's a real shame that there's so much inconsistency.

Even one dose gives some protection though - and some is better than none!

Unless there's a medical contraindication, I'd recommend getting the vaccine if you can.

Here is a link to some helpful guidance (updated a week ago)
www.rcog.org.uk/en/guidelines-research-services/coronavirus-covid-19-pregnancy-and-womens-health/covid-19-vaccines-and-pregnancy/covid-19-vaccines-pregnancy-and-breastfeeding/

It does stress that it is your decision and gives a few examples e.g. If you only have one dose and get pregnant options are to be vaccinated as planned or to defer the second vaccination dose until after 12 weeks or after the pregnancy (but the protection from the first dose may not last the duration of the pregnancy).

There will also be worldwide studies on pregnant women which will hopefully help reassure people.

I won't be having the vaccination as it is my clinic's policy not to treat until a few weeks after both doses have been given.
It's not ideal but I've had IVF treatment throughout the pandemic so have been taking that risk anyway (albeit before a vaccination was available so no other options other than proceed or wait).
For me to receive both doses of the vaccine and then wait a few weeks would imply a wait of at least 3 months more for my FET. I think there's a difference in someone with no known fertility problems delaying TTC and pausing IVF treatment (to be clear in terms of balancing the mental health implications of a further delay, not in terms of success of fertility treatment) .

Obviously I could have the first dose and not tell the clinic but I would prefer to be honest with them.

Good luck with your decision and your treatment.

@LongerthanMrTicklesarms your clinic’s policy is ridiculous and makes no sense. How sad for the patients registered there who need to balance up getting the vaccination and delaying their treatment, luckily my clinic doesn’t have any such policy, and I’d hope most clinics will be far more sensible.

@Scirocco I agree the inconsistency is not at all helpful.

The vaccination is the safest option for a person’s own health, a pregnancy, the HCW and all other people, a pregnant woman will come into contact with.

@Gardenlady543 it was my clinic that said I can't have the second dose

@Gardenlady543 you're absolutely right. It's just that we didn't have a solid answer, because it hadn't been tested on pregnant women. Infertility makes me paranoid . Thank you for your reply. Now that I'm thinking (again) all the problems if I'll contract Covid, I'm inclined towards having the vaccine.

I have been thinking over and over this matter for months now and I finally booked an appointment to get it done next week. I decided that it's better to do it before pregnancy, to keep me safe during IVF and pregnancy.

I’m doubly vaccinated and pregnant following a FET. And know others who are - incase the fake news of infertility was the concern. Pregnancy and covid can be a serious combination and with cases rising / the current variant being more transmissible I would get it ASAP. Some people can get a fever at after it so as long as your transfer isn’t that week / a few days after I can’t see how it could cause an issue . Good luck x