Covishield not detrimental to male fertility, say Manipal-based KMC researchers

The research team managed to recruit 53 men who provided semen samples prior to receiving the first dose of their vaccine, after observing two to seven days of abstinence.

After about two months of vaccination, sperm quality was again assessed.

Those who had tested positive for Covid-19 or had symptoms of it were not included in the study.

The study was reported in the official journal of the UK-based Society for Reproduction and Fertility.

Of the 53 subjects who received two doses of the Covishield vaccine, about half had semen quality below the WHO recommended value prior to vaccination, which did not change significantly post-vaccination.

Semen characteristic after vaccination

No significant changes in the semen characteristics were observed between baseline and follow-up samples in men who received two doses of the vaccine.

“Our initial observation has demonstrated that Covishield is not detrimental to sperm fertility potential,” said Professor Satish Adiga, co-author of the study, in a statement.

“Importantly, no true semen abnormalities such as azoospermia (complete lack of sperm), absolute asthenozoospermia (loss of motility), and teratozoospermia (altered sperm structure) were found even in a single study subject who received the vaccine,” he added.

“The results highlight no negative effect and no reason for concern. The study presents a milestone to disprove that vaccinations have a negative impact on male fertility,” said Professor Stefan Schlatt, a member of the WHO team that formulated the guidelines for semen analysis and the director of the Centre of Reproductive Medicine and Andrology in Germany.

He added that myths and unproven reports on potentially damaging effects of Covid-19 vaccinations on male fertility have spread globally and generated fears and hesitance to accept vaccinations.

“It is of utmost importance that valid clinical studies are available to generate evidence-based data on the side effects of the vaccines. This study is the first to report clinical outcomes on sperm parameters in men before and after receiving the Covishield vaccine,” said Schlatt.

“The study is really important, especially in the Indian context, and also in terms of generating much-needed evidence to demonstrate that non-mRNA-based vaccines are also safe as they vaccines don’t adversely affect the reproductive potential of men,” said Dr Geetanjali Sachdeva, director of NIRRCH, which is a top organisation for research in reproductive and child health of the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR).

“This evidence should dispel any fears among those men who are still hesitant to get vaccinated,” she added.