News | Large Swedish Study: COVID-19 Vaccines Do Not Affect Fertility
A population study from Linköping University in Sweden found no association between COVID-19 mRNA vaccination and declining birth rates, systematically countering longstanding claims that vaccines affect fertility. The findings were published in Communications Medicine.
“Our conclusion is that the decline in birth rates during the pandemic was extremely unlikely to have been caused by COVID-19 mRNA vaccines,” said lead researcher Toomas Timpka, professor of social medicine at Linköping University.
Unsupported social-media claims that vaccines impair conception have circulated since early in the pandemic. Later declines in births in Sweden and elsewhere amplified concern and prompted this real-world investigation.
The study included nearly 60,000 women aged 18–45 in Region Jönköping County, representing most women of reproductive age in a population of about 369,000. From 2021 to 2024, 75% received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose. Health-system records were used to compare deliveries, miscarriages, and deaths in vaccinated and unvaccinated women.
No statistically significant differences were found in delivery rates or registered miscarriages after pregnancy, consistent with previous evidence showing no association between COVID-19 vaccination and reduced fertility.
“We observed no difference in birth rates by vaccination status,” Timpka said. “Among those who became pregnant, registered miscarriages also did not differ.”
The team attributed pandemic-era birth declines more plausibly to demographic and social factors. People now around age 30 were often born during Sweden’s economic pressure and lower birth rates in the late 1990s, leaving a smaller pool of potential parents. Health anxiety, economic uncertainty, and behavioral changes during lockdown may also have discouraged childbearing plans.
Strengths included the large, nationally representative sample and adjustment for women’s age to prevent demographic structure from masking vaccine effects.
Funded by organizations including the Swedish Research Council, the study may help correct public-health misconceptions and guide future vaccine communication.
News | Large Swedish Study: COVID-19 Vaccines Do Not Affect Fertility
News | Large Swedish Study: COVID-19 Vaccines Do Not Affect Fertility
A population study from Linköping University in Sweden found no association between COVID-19 mRNA vaccination and declining birth rates, systematically countering longstanding claims that vaccines affect fertility. The findings were published in Communications Medicine.
“Our conclusion is that the decline in birth rates during the pandemic was extremely unlikely to have been caused by COVID-19 mRNA vaccines,” said lead researcher Toomas Timpka, professor of social medicine at Linköping University.
Unsupported social-media claims that vaccines impair conception have circulated since early in the pandemic. Later declines in births in Sweden and elsewhere amplified concern and prompted this real-world investigation.
The study included nearly 60,000 women aged 18–45 in Region Jönköping County, representing most women of reproductive age in a population of about 369,000. From 2021 to 2024, 75% received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose. Health-system records were used to compare deliveries, miscarriages, and deaths in vaccinated and unvaccinated women.
No statistically significant differences were found in delivery rates or registered miscarriages after pregnancy, consistent with previous evidence showing no association between COVID-19 vaccination and reduced fertility.
“We observed no difference in birth rates by vaccination status,” Timpka said. “Among those who became pregnant, registered miscarriages also did not differ.”
The team attributed pandemic-era birth declines more plausibly to demographic and social factors. People now around age 30 were often born during Sweden’s economic pressure and lower birth rates in the late 1990s, leaving a smaller pool of potential parents. Health anxiety, economic uncertainty, and behavioral changes during lockdown may also have discouraged childbearing plans.
Strengths included the large, nationally representative sample and adjustment for women’s age to prevent demographic structure from masking vaccine effects.
Funded by organizations including the Swedish Research Council, the study may help correct public-health misconceptions and guide future vaccine communication.
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