Health experts have reported that since COVID19 vaccination has started in the UK, many women have said that their menstrual cycles have been disrupted since they have been vaccinated. As per the latest report, more than 30000 women in the country have said that their menstrual cycles have changed after they have taken the shots. The data have been taken from the Yellow Card Scheme of the country. People have been reporting the side effects of medications they have been taking and vaccination under the Yellow Card Scheme. A reproductive immunology expert, who is working at Imperial College London, Dr. Victoria Male has said that although disruptions in menstrual cycles are short-lived and safe, further research is needed in this area. Experts have informed that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the United States is spending $1.67 million in research to understand how COVID19 vaccination affects women’s menstrual cycles. Dr. Victoria Male has said that due to immune response, menstrual cycles can be disrupted or become heavier than usual; however, it is not unsafe for the body. She has said that rigorous research in this area is very crucial to the overall success of the COVID19 immunization program. Dr. Victoria Male has said that it is essential to know that the impacts of medical interventions on periods should not be an afterthought in further research in the future. The author of ‘Invisible Women’, Caroline Criado-Perez has said that the majority of clinical studies have not looked at the effects of COVID19 vaccines on menstrual cycles. The author has said that in many trials women have not been included due to possible effects on their menstrual cycles. The lead scientist of the new report, Dr. Male has clearly stated that women should not be too worried about the changes in menstrual cycles and the long-term effects of COVID19 shots on their periods. She has said that most women who have been dealing with disrupted menstrual cycles have said that their periods have come back to normal over time. The findings of the new report have been reported in the British Medical Journal.
There are many studies that have shown that COVID19 shots have no adverse side effects on one’s fertility and pregnancy. The UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has indicated that alleged side effects linked to a wide range of menstruation disorders have been observed after vaccination with all three COVID19 shots that are in use in the UK. At present, AstraZeneca, Pfizer, and Moderna COVID19 shots are being used in vaccination programs in the UK. Women have been reporting unexpected vaginal bleeding, heavier periods than usual, and delayed cycles after being vaccinated with first or second doses of these COVID19 shots. A reproductive medicine consultant, Dr. Raj Mathur has said that it seems that some women might deal with a brief disruption in their menstrual cycles after inoculation. However, the MHRA has said that the number of women dealing with side effects linked to the menstrual cycle and vaginal bleeding is still quite low as compared to the number of people who have taken COVID19 shots so far. The MHRA has said that such disorders are quite common in women. The agency has said that millions of women have been vaccinated in the country and the number of women dealing with such side effects is negligible. Dr. Lara Prendergast has said that the actual number of women dealing with these side effects might be a bit higher as talking about the effects of vaccines on one’s menstrual cycle can be awkward for many women. When a sum of nearly 20 million people in the UK has been vaccinated in the month of May, many women around the world have been asking if early, delayed, painful, or heavy cycles might be an unidentified side effect of the vaccine.
Dr. Victoria Male has said that there is a growing body of evidence that proves changes that occur in the menstrual cycle are temporary and do not impact fertility. She has emphasized that there is a need for further studies into the biologically plausible systems that can cause such disorders. She has claimed that if there is a link, it might be the reason for the immune response to inoculation rather than a particular element of the shot. The lead author of the report has said that immune systems and sex hormones are closely connected. Therefore, if the immune system deals with a big shock due to vaccination or an infection, it will affect the timing and nature of the menstrual cycle. Health experts who have been involved in the report have said that the uterus is creased with many immune cells that can be affected by the activation of the immune system after vaccination and it will impact menstruation as well. The authors of the study have said that the conjecture that vaccines might interrupt the menstrual cycle is turning out to be true. Experts have said that such changes have continued to be neglected in most clinical trials of vaccines and other drugs. Criado-Perez has said that in misguided efforts to minimize vaccine hesitancy among women, health officials have been easily ignoring women’s fears about the potential side effects of COVID19 shots. However, experts have said that at present, they are encouraging women to report their side effects linked to their menstrual cycles after taking shots. It will help in further research into the possible effects of COVID19 shots on women’s periods after vaccination. Further research on this will help women make an informed decision about being immunized, said the experts.
