Hopeful dad can relax about COVID Vax: not related to infertility

Researchers in a recent study investigating whether the licensed COVID-19 vaccine harms male childbirth have found hundreds of emails from surprised men and their worried partners, leading up to publication. Flooded with. Currently, there are findings from 45 vaccinated men: none showed significant signs of decreased sperm count after taking their shots.

Men experiencing side effects after vaccination may have reduced sperm counts for several weeks, similar to after a viral infection. However, co-author of the study, Dr. Ranjit Lamasami, MD of the University of Miami Health System, said there was no reason to worry about the significant negative effects on male childbirth. Today’s MedPage.. “People shouldn’t worry. Vaccines are very safe.”

Lamasami, who said she had received about 500 emails, added that the real threat to male sexual health was COVID-19 itself. The virus is associated with decreased sperm production and an increased incidence of erectile dysfunction.

For research that appears as a research letter JAMA, Ramasamy et al. Followed 45 men (18-50 years, median 28 years) vaccinated with Moderna (53%) or Pfizer-BioNTech (47%) mRNA vaccines. The study population came from South Florida, and most of the men were Latino Americans.

In this study, there was no significant reduction in male sperm count about 70 days after the last vaccination. “Some of the male sperm counts have actually increased,” Rama Sammy said, but it’s unclear if the vaccine is involved in this.

According to the researchers, “the limits of the study include a small number of registered men, a limit of generalization beyond young and healthy men, short follow-up, and a lack of controls. , Semen analysis is the basis of men, but the assessment of childbirth, which is an incomplete predictor of childbirth potential. “

Still, “the number of 45 is small, but I’m confident that we can generalize this to others,” said Lamasami. “We’re pretty sure,” he added, that Johnson & Johnson and the unapproved Novavax vaccine do not affect sperm count.

The authors of the study are not the only ones who have heard from patients experiencing azita about the link between male vaccines and fertility. Parviz K, a reproductive urologist in Austin, Texas. Kavoussi, MD, said: “When asked, the majority of men cited social media such as Facebook as their source,” he said. Today’s MedPage..

Concerns are also widespread about the potential effects of vaccines on women’s childbirth. Says there is a CDC No evidence Of adverse effects.

Bradley Anawald, MD, MD, director of medicine at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle, said the findings were good news. “In general, the potential adverse effects of drugs and vaccines on reproductive function have not been carefully investigated,” he said. Today’s MedPage.. “It’s great to be able to further confirm that the COVID vaccines available are safe and their benefits far outweigh the risks of very rare side effects.”

But what about the risk of a temporary decrease in sperm count due to the side effects of the vaccine? Rama Sammy said the study showed no signs of problems in this regard. However, Anawald said, “Systemic illness can temporarily reduce sperm production until the illness resolves. It takes about three months for sperm to be produced and fully mature. A few months after the systemic illness is resolved, sperm counts will decrease. “

“The common side effects of COVID vaccination-injection site muscle pain, flu-like syndrome with muscle and arthralgia-usually resolve after a few days,” he added. “Men are unlikely to experience a significant reduction in sperm count due to these short-term side effects. It has been reported that more severe side effects, such as fever, severe muscle and joint pain, last for more than a few days. Men People who experience more severe reactions may have a short-term decrease in sperm count 3-4 months after vaccination. “

According to Lamasami, COVID-19 virus particles were previously found to remain in the penis and testes 7-9 months after infection, but recovered patients do not appear to have invaded sperm. Researchers have associated penile particles with erectile dysfunction in COVID-19 survivors.

Regarding sperm count, he explained, “It plummets 3 to 6 months after infection and then recovers.”

“There is some data showing that some men infected with COVID-19 can develop epididymitis, which can lead to impaired testicular function,” said Kavoussi. It does not mean that all infected men become infertile, but there is evidence that it may adversely affect testicular function in some men. “

Anawald provided this advice: “Get vaccinated. Good for your health. Good for your sex life.”