A study conducted at the Kasturba Medical College, Manipal showed that the the Covishield vaccine is not detrimental to male fertility potential. The fear of fertility impairment has been a major reason for vaccine hesitancy in the population. The study published in the official journal of the UK-based Society for Reproduction and Fertility recruited 53 men. As per the study results, no significant changes in the semen characteristics were seen between baseline and follow-up samples in men receiving two doses of the vaccine.

The results of the study will be helpful in dispelling myths about the vaccination’s impact on the negative impact on male infertility. The study holds more significance in the Indian context and in terms of generating much-needed evidence to show that non-mRNA-based vaccines are also safe since they have no negative effect on the reproductive potential of men.