A new Israeli study, published on June 17, reveals that men’s fertility is adversely impacted by mRNA COVID-19 vaccines after the second dose.
Sperm concentration decreased between 75 and 120 days after immunization, according to research conducted on 220 semen samples obtained from three sperm banks in Israel. Dr. Itai Gat and other researchers at the Sperm Bank and Andrology Unit at the Shamir Medical Center and Tel Aviv University’s Sackler Medical School conclude that the “long-term prognosis remains good,” however, because the sperm count decrease is likely due to a fever which is a side effect of receiving the vaccine, not because of the vaccine itself.
“Overall, we demonstrate long-term safety of the vaccination regarding semen analysis among sperm donors,” stated Gat to The Epoch Times. “The temporary decline we found is similar to already known side effects of short febrile illness [like influenza], followed by later recovery. It seems that the immune response after vaccination is similar as in cases of common infections which results with short term impairment of sperm production.”
He also said, “most men are not aware of the short decline in their sperm counts after viral infection.”
The researchers reported that follow-up testing — performed more than 150 days following vaccination — demonstrated “overall recovery,” with semen volume and sperm motility returning to normal levels. The levels outlined in the study were still lower than before vaccination, but the differences were “not statistically significant,” according to Dr. Gat.
Throughout the pandemic, worries about the COVID-19 vaccinations’ potential impact on fertility have occasionally surfaced. Pfizer’s clinical trial detected anti-sperm antibodies, but other investigations conducted during the pandemic indicated that COVID-19 vaccinations did not affect sperm concentration or semen motility.
Of concern to some is the effect the COVID-19 vaccines have on women’s menstrual cycles. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention claims there is no evidence that vaccinations impair fertility in either men or women.