No Effect of Inactivated SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination on in vitro Fertilization Outcomes: A Propensity Score-Matched Study

Jialyu Huang; Leizhen Xia; Jiaying Lin; Bangdong Liu; Yan Zhao; Cailin Xin; Xiaoyan Ai; Wenting Cao; Xiaocui Zhang; Lifeng Tian; Qiongfang Wu

doi:10.2147/JIR.S347729

No Effect of Inactivated SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination on in vitro Fertilization Outcomes: A Propensity Score-Matched Study

J Inflamm Res. 2022 Feb 9:15:839-849. doi: 10.2147/JIR.S347729. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Jialyu Huang^#¹, Leizhen Xia^#¹, Jiaying Lin^#², Bangdong Liu^#³, Yan Zhao¹, Cailin Xin¹, Xiaoyan Ai⁴, Wenting Cao⁵, Xiaocui Zhang⁶, Lifeng Tian¹, Qiongfang Wu¹

Affiliations

¹ Center for Reproductive Medicine, Jiangxi Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Nanchang, People's Republic of China.
² Department of Assisted Reproduction, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
³ Department of Laboratory Medicine, Huanan Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China.
⁴ Department of Gynecology, Jiangxi Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Nanchang, People's Republic of China.
⁵ Department of Otorhinolaryngology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, People's Republic of China.
⁶ Center for Reproductive Medicine, Shangrao Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Shangrao, People's Republic of China.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the impact of inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccination on in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes.

Patients and methods: This retrospective cohort study included 2185 patients undergoing fresh IVF cycles from June 1st to September 13th 2021 in a single university-affiliated hospital. Vaccine administration information was collected and ascertained via immunization records. Patients with two dosages of inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccines (Sinopharm or Sinovac) were categorized into the vaccinated group (n = 150), while those unvaccinated were classified as control (n = 2035). Propensity score matching was performed to balance the baseline characteristics (14 covariates) between the two groups at a ratio of 1:4. The main outcome measures were the number of oocytes retrieved, good-quality embryo rate and clinical pregnancy rate.

Results: There were 146 women in the vaccinated group and 584 in the control group after matching. The number of oocytes retrieved (9.9 ± 7.1 vs 9.9 ± 6.7; P = 0.893), good-quality embryo rate (33.5 ± 29.8% vs 29.9 ± 28.6%; P = 0.184) and clinical pregnancy rate (59.1% vs 63.6%; P = 0.507) were all similar between the two groups. In addition, no significant differences were observed regarding other cycle characteristics, laboratory parameters and pregnancy outcomes. The results were also comparable when vaccinated patients were subdivided into three categories based on the time interval from complete vaccination to cycle initiation: ≤1 month, >1-2 months, and >2 months.

Conclusion: Our study provided the first-time evidence that inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in females did not result in any measurable detrimental effects on IVF treatment. Owing to the present limitations, further prospective studies with larger cohort size and longer follow-up are warranted to validate our conclusion.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; in vitro fertilization; vaccination.

Grants and funding

This study was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81960288) and the Key Research and Development Program of Jiangxi Province (20203BBGL73159).