Are the COVID-19 vaccines associated with fertility issues?

Here's what you need to know about the misconception that the COVID-19 vaccines cause infertility.

HERSHEY, Pa. — The COVID-19 vaccines do not cause fertility issues, according to Catharine Paules, infectious diseases physician, Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.

“As a woman of childbearing age, myself, I am vaccinated and have no fertility concerns related to the vaccines,” says Paules. “What I tell people is that this misconception originally came from social media, and it got a lot of traction but scientifically does not bear out.”

Paules explained that the COVID-19 vaccines work by prompting the body to generate copies of the coronavirus’ spike protein. These copies teach the body’s immune system to recognize the real spike protein so that it can fight the virus in the event of an infection.

According to Paules, the claim on social media about infertility came from a concern that the spike proteins made by the body in response to the COVID-19 vaccines are similar to a placental protein, called syncitin-1, that is involved in the growth and attachment of the placenta during pregnancy.

“Some people have stated that getting the COVID-19 vaccine could cause a woman’s immune system to fight the syncticin-1 placental protein; therefore, affecting her ability to maintain a pregnancy,” Paules says. “However, although there are some similarities between the two proteins there are also important differences. Antibodies to the COVID-19 vaccine will attack SARS-CoV-2 and should not attack the syncytin-1 placental protein. In addition, millions of COVID-19 vaccines have now been given, and safety monitoring of these vaccines has been incredibly robust with no fertility concerns identified.”

She adds that other human coronaviruses — or common cold viruses — also have spike proteins and do not cause infertility, and likewise, millions of people have gotten COVID-19 and their fertility has not been affected by their antibody responses.

“If there was a problematic antibody response from the vaccine, you would expect to see the same thing after natural infection, and we haven’t seen that,” says Paules. “So, again, there have been no concerns related to fertility for these vaccines for either men or women.”

Getting vaccinated, Paules adds, “will protect you from COVID-19 related hospitalizations and deaths as well as the long-term health effects of this disease. It also will protect those around you at high risk of complications and those that cannot be vaccinated, like children, or those that may not respond as well to the vaccine. As more people become vaccinated, the chance that new variants will arise decreases.”

Penn State is continuing to encourage students and employees to share their coronavirus vaccination status to help inform the University's decision-making and its COVID-19 management plan. Information provided by individuals will allow Penn State officials to better understand vaccination rates across the University and modify approaches, if needed. The latest vaccination information for University community members is available on Penn State’s virus information website.

Last Updated August 11, 2021