Q: I’m a 31-year-old lady, I have no children. I want to take the COVID vaccine but some have told me not to because it can cause infertility. What are your thoughts?
 
A: One of the many myths turning a lot of women in the childbearing age group off vaccination, is the fallacy that the COVID vaccine causes infertility. The COVID 19 vaccines DO NOT cause infertility in females or males.

Since early 2020, thousands of females were involved in vaccine trials, and over the last 10 months billions have been given the COVID vaccines. The data has been closely scrutinized by 1000s of scientists all over the world, and there is absolutely no link between getting ANY COVID vaccine and subsequent infertility.

Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation out there which has been circulated via YouTube, WhatsApp, Facebook and other modalities that has been pushed by anti-vaccine activists, which is intended to scare persons away from the vaccine. Sadly such misinformation has not only been spread by the general public, but there are a few health care professionals, for reasons only known to themselves, who have also been spreading COVID vaccine misinformation.

Interestingly, studies have shown that the vaccines are so safe, they can be administered to pregnant women and there are no ill effects on the developing baby, and the same vaccine can be safely administered to breast feeding mothers.

It needs to be emphasized that the vaccine is completely cleared from your body within 72 hours of administration. It stays around just long enough to instruct your injected cells in your upper arm to make the spiked protein identical to what is found on the virus’ surface. It does not get incorporated into the cell’s DNA so it will not alter your DNA.

Your immune system produces antibodies to the spike protein, and these antibodies lay in waiting just in case you are exposed to the COVID causing virus (SARS-CoV-2). If this were to occur, your immune system inactivates and destroys the invading virus. The immune system is being true to form in that it works in the same fashion if you are exposed to tetanus, once you have had the tetanus vaccine. Same for measles, mumps, rubella, whooping cough, chicken pox, etc. In the case of the COVID vaccine, the only difference is, the resulting antibodies are specific to the COVID causing virus. So, there is no reason why these antibodies would be any different regarding their function (or side effects) when compared to the hundreds of millions of antibodies which are already circulating in our blood stream as a result of previous vaccines or exposure to other germs, viruses, bacteria, etc.
 
Regrettably, it is misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccines that is causing much pain, suffering and deaths. For misinformation causes many persons to reject the vaccine, inevitably forcing them to confront the virus without the relevant antibodies on board. That person is left wide open to the potential ravishes of COVID; a very frightening scenario with the delta variant around.

l Author: Dr. C. Malcolm Grant – Family Physician, c/o Family Care Clinic, Arnos Vale, www.familycaresvg.com, clinic@familycaresvg.com, 1(784)570-9300 (Office), 1(784)455-0376 (WhatsApp)
 
Disclaimer: The information provided in the above article is for educational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a medical professional or healthcare provider if you are seeking medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment. Dr. C. Malcolm Grant, Family Care Clinic or The Searchlight Newspaper or their associates, respectively, are not liable for risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information provided above.