The Union Health Ministry on Wednesday said that there is no scientific evidence suggesting COVID-19 vaccination can cause infertility in men and women and asserted the vaccines have been found to be safe and effective.
It further said that the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 (NEGVAC) has also recommended Covid vaccination for all lactating women, terming it as safe with no need to stop or pause breastfeeding before or after the inoculation.
The statement by the ministry comes in the wake of media reports expressing concerns regarding infertility due to COVID-19 vaccination among population of reproductive age and whether the vaccination is safe for lactating women.
The health ministry as clarified in the FAQs posted on the website that none of the available vaccines affects fertility of either men or women, as all vaccines and their constituents are tested first on animals and later in humans to assess if they have any such side effects, the statement said.
Vaccines are authorised for use only after their safety and efficacy is assured. "Furthermore, in order to curb the prevalent myth regarding infertility due to COVID-19 vaccination, the government of India has clarified that there are no scientific evidences suggesting COVID-19 vaccination can cause infertility in men and women. The vaccines have been found to be safe and effective," the statement said.
It further said that in a recent interview, Dr N K Arora, chairperson of COVID-19 Working Group of National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI) has countered these fears and allegations. He said that misinformation was also created during the administering of polio vaccine in India and abroad that children who are getting the vaccine may face infertility in the future. He assured that all vaccines go through intense scientific researches and none of the vaccines have this sort of side-effect, the statement stated.
NEGVAC has also recommended COVID-19 vaccination for all lactating women, terming it as safe with no need to stop or pause breastfeeding before or after the vaccination, it said.
