Doctor: COVID-19 vaccine is safe for those who are thinking about starting a family

AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) - Texas Tech Physicians OB/GYN says they still have a lot of patients coming in saying they do not want to get the vaccine because they believe it causes infertility.

Dr. Robert Kauffman, Texas Tech Physicians OB/GYN, mentions there have been a lot of rumors circulating social media about the vaccine causing infertility and miscarriages, however he says data shows the vaccine is safe against those things.

“We have good evidence that the vaccination is very safe, both for men and for women who are thinking about starting a family. It does not appear to cause infertility, we have no evidence that it causes miscarriages,” said Dr. Kauffman.

He mentions one study looked at semen analysis before and after vaccination and found that all of the semen parameters were unchanged for men who had the vaccine.

Another study, he says showed the miscarriage rate among those who have had the vaccine and those who have not had the vaccine were similar.

Doctors recommend women to become vaccinated before they are pregnant, but say it is never too late and you can receive the vaccine during your pregnancy.

They also say women who are pregnant are at an increased risk for severe illness with COVID-19, so they believe the vaccine is the best way to protect themselves and their baby.

Mattie Been, an Amarillo woman who is expecting soon, says she received the Moderna vaccine and it had no affect on her chances of getting pregnant.

“I don’t know all the statistics and data but I know I got the shot in December and was able to get pregnant in May, so it didn’t cause any infertility issues there,” said Been.

She says she had no hesitancy against getting the vaccine and felt it was the best way to stay protected against the Delta variant.

“I think pregnancy is hard enough on us moms so I don’t want to be in the ICU on a ventilator and pregnant,” said Been.

Her and Dr. Kauffman urge people to do their research about the vaccine and talk to your health care provider if you are hesitant.

“Get out and do the research for yourself, don’t always believe what you read on Facebook or in the news, really get out and read medical articles, talk to your provider and you know, make the best healthcare decision that you can for yourself,” said Been.

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