COVID-19 Vaccination Guidance For Fertility Patients

There has been new guidance issued from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation on 30^th December 2020. This states that if you are considering use of the vaccine you should discuss the risks and benefits of this with your clinician – either your GP or your specialist.

Women who are trying to become pregnant do not need to avoid pregnancy after vaccination.

Hence, we are no longer advising a two month wait after a final dose of vaccination. 

Here are the full recommendations:

Recommendations:

Pre-pregnancy & during pregnancy (see JCVI 30 December 2020 guidelines):

1. Clinicians should discuss the risks and benefits of vaccination with the woman, who should be told about the absence of safety data for the vaccine in pregnant women.
2. Although the available data does not indicate any safety concern or harm to pregnancy, there is insufficient evidence to recommend routine use of COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy.
3. Vaccination in pregnancy should be considered where the risk of exposure to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) infection is high and cannot be avoided
4. Vaccination in pregnancy should be considered where the woman has underlying conditions that put them at very high risk of serious complications of COVID-19.
5. JCVI does not advise routine pregnancy testing before receipt of a COVID-19 vaccine.
6. Women who are trying to become pregnant do not need to avoid pregnancy after vaccination.
7. If a woman has had the first dose and then becomes pregnant, she should be advised to delay the second dose until after the pregnancy is over (unless she is at high risk)

We will continue to review the recommendations and keep our patients informed.