Re: The Impact of COVID-19 Vaccine on Sperm Quality

Abstract

Experts summary: Owing to concerns about the impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on male fertility and the potential analogous effects of the coronavirus vaccine, Barda and colleagues [1] evaluated the effects of two doses of the Pfizer SARS-CoV-2 vaccine (BNT162b) on sperm parameters. This prospective cohort study included 898 samples from 33 sperm donors, with each donor serving as his own control. Basic semen parameters (total sperm count, total motile count, percentage motile sperm) were assessed in 425 semen samples before the first vaccination and compared to 473 samples collected at least 72 d after receiving the second dose of the vaccine. Total sperm count and total motile count increased after completion of two doses of the vaccine compared to samples obtained before vaccination, while the percentage of motile sperm remained unchanged. In addition, the authors evaluated whether vaccination would affect the quality of freeze-thawed semen samples. Findings showed that the BNT162b, SARS-CoV-2 vaccine did not negatively affect sperm quality after freezing. According to the scientific literature, the virus triggers adverse effects on male sexual and reproductive health, while the vaccine appears to be safe, as evidenced by Barda et al [1]. Therefore, vaccine uptake is recommended, and patients and medical doctors should be counseled accordingly.