Fertility outcomes in women undergoing Assisted Reproductive Treatments after COVID-19 vaccination: A prospective cohort study

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Centre of IVF and Human Reproduction, Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, India

2 Centre of IVF and Human Reproduction, Institute of Obstetritics and Gynaecology, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, India

3 Center of IVF and Human Reproduction, Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, India

10.22074/ijfs.2023.1990869.1444

Abstract

Background: Vaccination against Coronavirus-19 disease(COVID-19) was widely administered from 2021 onwards to individuals of all age-groups. There is little information on how this vaccine affected fertility after assisted-reproductive-treatment (ART). The aim of this study therefore was to determine if COVID-19 vaccination or time since vaccination influenced ART outcomes.

Materials and Methods: 502 oocyte-retrieval-cycles & 582 subsequent embryo-transfer-cycles were grouped based on COVID-19 vaccine status of female partner as those with no exposure, 1-dose and ≥2dose exposure. Within the exposed cohort, time since last vaccination to embryo-transfer-cycle(Ttr) was calculated in days. Main outcomes were mean-total-utilizable-embryos, mean-oocyte-utilization-rates and cumulative-ongoing-pregnancy-rates per oocyte-retrieval-cycle, and ongoing-pregnancy and pregnancy-loss-rates per embryo-transfer cycle. Beta-coefficient(ß) was calculated using linear regression for mean-total-utilizable-embryos and mean-oocyte-utilization-rates and adjusted odds ratio was calculated for cumulative-ongoing-pregnancy-rates, ongoing-pregnancy and pregnancy-loss-rates using binomial logistic regression after adjustments for appropriate confounders. Influence of T(tr) on embryo-transfer outcomes was estimated using Receiver-Operator-Curve (ROC) analysis and cut-offs determined that influenced embryo transfer outcomes significantly.

Results: Mean-total-utilizable-embryos and mean-oocyte-utilization-rate per oocyte retrieval cycle in no-exposure, 1-dose and ≥2dose were 2.7±1.8 vs2.5±1.9 vs2.7±2.0; p=0.78, (ß=0.42;95%CI= 0.15to0.69) and 21.2±13.2 vs25.1±19.0 vs26.7±18.8; p=0.08, (ß=3.94;95%CI=1.26to6.23) respectively. Ongoing-pregnancy-rates and pregnancy-loss-rates per embryo transfer cycle were 27.3% vs24.4% vs32.5%; (aOR=1.38;95%CI=0.3-5.6; p=0.52), and 13.6% vs13.4% vs15.2%; (aOR=0.97;95%CI=0.18-5.2; p=0.97) respectively. Cumulative-ongoing-pregnancy-rates per oocyte-retrieval-cycle were 36.5%vs34.5%vs35.5%; (aOR=1.53;95%CI=0.57to 4.07; p=0.35) Median time since last-dose to embryo transfer in the vaccinated cohort was 146days(IQR: 80-220). T(tr) negatively affected ongoing pregnancy rates for intervals<60days. (AUC=0.59; 95%CI=0.54-0.66; p<0.01). For intervals>60days, the aOR for ongoing-pregnancy per-embryo-transfer cycle was 2.85 (95%CI=1.50-5.46; p<0.01).

Conclusion: Covid-19 vaccination does not negatively influence embryological outcomes or cumulative ongoing pregnancies after ART treatments. Duration since vaccination may have a weak negative effect on outcomes of embryo transfers performed within 60 days, but this needs confirmation by larger studies.

Keywords

Main Subjects

International Journal of Fertility and Sterility

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 15 October 2023

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics