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PETBioNewsNewsUnvaccinated women can resume NHS fertility treatment in Scotland

BioNews

Unvaccinated women can resume NHS fertility treatment in Scotland

Published 11 March 2022 posted in News and appears in BioNews 1136

Author

Abbie Newing

Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
CC0 1.0
Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.

IVF patients in Scotland, who had their NHS treatment delayed because they were not fully vaccinated against COVID-19, can now resume treatment...

IVF patients in Scotland, who had their NHS treatment delayed because they were not fully vaccinated against COVID-19, can now resume treatment.

Professor Sir Gregor Smith, Scotland's chief medical officer, advised on 7 January that fertility treatment be deferred for those women not fully vaccinated (see BioNews 1127). Professor Smith has written to all health boards in Scotland stating that the temporary deferral has now been lifted.

A Scottish government spokesperson confirmed: 'The chief medical officer wrote to all NHS Scotland health boards this afternoon to advise them that fertility treatment for unvaccinated patients should no longer be deferred, and treatment of patients can recommence.'

Fertility treatment for unvaccinated women was initially suspended due to the concerns over the 'increased levels of morbidity and risk of severe illness amongst unvaccinated pregnant women'. The decision attracted backlash from patients and politicians alike.

Clinicians have now been advised to fully inform patients planning pregnancy or fertility treatment about the risks associated with non-vaccination, the evidence regarding the safety of vaccines (see BioNews 1101 and 1095) and the evidence for vaccine effectiveness against symptomatic COVID-19 disease. Furthermore, unvaccinated fertility patients will need to sign an informed consent form acknowledging that they are aware of the risks prior to treatment.

The decision to allow unvaccinated women to resume fertility treatment in Scotland was made after data from Public Health Scotland showed that both COVID-19 cases and hospitalisations were stabilising in Scotland. Additionally, the available data on unvaccinated individuals has suggested that the risk of severe disease requiring hospital or critical care admission has reduced over the last four to six weeks.

Professor Smith concluded: 'I strongly support the recommendation that people get the vaccine when offered. The COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective and there is no evidence to suggest that the COVID-19 vaccines will affect fertility in women or men.'

Sources and References

  • 06/03/2022
    BBC
    COVID in Scotland: Unvaccinated women can resume IVF treatment
  • 08/03/2022
    Scottish Government
    Coronavirus (COVID-19): fertility treatment for unvaccinated patients
  • 05/03/2022
    The Scotsman
    COVID Scotland: Chief medical officer orders IVF treatment for women who have not been vaccinated
  • 05/03/2022
    Independent
    IVF treatment to resume again for women not vaccinated against COVID

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