FAQ regarding the COVID vaccination

Yes. It´s beneficial to undergo the vaccination prior to the IVF treatment. GENNET recommends to all patients in risk groups (e.g. with more chronic diseases) having the access to COVID-19 vaccines to be fully vaccinated before the pregnancy. In case that the patient does not have access to vaccination and there is a risk that delaying the treatment could have negative impact on treatment outcome (e.g. the quality of eggs may worsen during the time) it´s better not to delay the treatment because of the vaccination.

This policy is consistent with ESHRE recommendation.

Patients should always discuss the COVID-19 vaccination with their GP/family doctor.

There is no contraindication to COVID 19 vaccination during the pregnancy. This vaccination is safer than live vaccines. Unfortunately pregnant women were not included in European  clinical trials of the COVID-19 vaccines.  Pfizer and J&J have begun clinical trials including pregnant women.

The pharmaceutical companies producing the Moderna or the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines do not report any special side effects after vaccination of pregnant women.

Anyway it´s not ideal to be vaccinated during the first trimester – in case that you do not get the vaccinations before the pregnancy, we recommend to avoid the social contacts during this period.

Women in risk group (e.g. women with multiple chronic diseases etc.) and women with higher risk of contracting Covid-19 should be ideally vaccinated during the 2nd or 3rd trimester if they do not receive the vaccination before the pregnancy.

Patients should always discuss the COVID-19 vaccination with their GP/family doctor.

It´s very difficult to recommend one kind of vaccine as there are many factors involved including the availability of specific vaccines in your country.

Common vaccine side effects may resemble a mild flu-like illness and typically resolve within 1-3 days. Vaccine recipients may experience local injection site pain, fatigue, fever and/or chills, headache, and muscle and joint pain. Patients experiencing a fever after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine may take paracetamol.

We ask all patients to share their current vaccination status with us. If you are planning to be vaccinated, please discuss that with your GENNET physician  to be sure the timing will not interfere with your treatment.

No. If you are actively trying to conceive and are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, there appears to be no reason to delay the pregnancy. In case of fertility treatment and planned hormonal stimulation (for own egg collection), we recommend to have a 2 months break between the vaccination and stimulation start. In case of other treatment types (only embryo reception) it´s possible to start the preparation 2 weeks after the Covid-19 vaccine at the earliest.

There is no scientific evidence or concern that the COVID-19 vaccine could affect fertility. In case that you get pregnant after the 1^st dosage of Covid-19 vaccine, please discuss the timing of the 2^nd dosage with GENNET physician.

In case of fertility treatment and planned hormonal stimulation (for own egg collection), we recommend to have a 2 months break between the vaccination and stimulation start. In case of other treatment types (only embryo reception) it´s possible to start the preparation 2 weeks after the Covid-19 vaccine at the earliest.

There is no scientific evidence or concern that the COVID-19 vaccine could affect fertility. In case that you get pregnant after the 1^st dosage of Covid-19 vaccine, please discuss the timing of the 2^nd dosage with GENNET physician.

There is no scientific evidence that the Pfizer, Moderna, or J&J COVID-19 vaccines cause future infertility or sterility in either women or men. In patients who have recovered from COVID-19 infections, there is no indication that their fertility has been negatively impacted.

In men, Covid-19 infection may negatively influence the quality of sperm sample as well as any other viral infection or severe illness accompanied by high fever. Therefore the man´s fertility may be temporarily reduced for up to 3 months as it´s the period when the new sperm is created. Further study is needed.

Yes. Not enough information is currently available to say if or when CDC will stop recommending that people wear masks and avoid close contact with others to help prevent the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19.

Experts need to understand more about the protection that COVID-19 vaccines provide in real-world conditions before making that decision. Other factors, including how many people are vaccinated, new COVID-19 variants, and how the virus is spreading in our community, will also affect this decision. In addition, it is uncertain how effective the current COVID-19 vaccines are in preventing the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus to others.

While experts learn more about the protection that COVID-19 vaccines provide under real-life conditions, it is be important for everyone to continue using all the tools available to help stop this pandemic.