Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOHW) Dunstan Bryan says fears around the COVID-19 vaccine’s effect on fertility continues to be a source of concern for Jamaican women.

According to Bryan, during the recent Blitz activations one of the most frequently asked questions was regarding the vaccine’s impact on fertility, particularly among younger women.

“I know for example that one of the questions that came up for a lot of persons, especially in the arena, was what is the impact of vaccination on fertility, so we have the answers that says there is no impact on fertility,” said Bryan.

“A lot of women have been waiting to see what happens to those in their cohort to determine how to proceed, so we had the opportunity to dispel some of that myth,” added Bryan

Despite the Ministry and Bryan’s effort to reassure women, particularly those in child bearing age group that the vaccinations have no effect on fertility, hesitancy among this cohort persist.

While fake news and misinformation have been deemed as the major culprits driving hesitancy, some are pointing to the lack of data about how the vaccine impacts pregnant women, given that they were excluded from initial clinical trials. 

Despite pregnant women initially being excluded from clinical trials, a recent study published in The New England Journal of Medicine affirmed that vaccines are safe for pregnant women.

To date Jamaica has vaccinated a little over 9 per cent of its population with at least one dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine.