A new study conducted by scientists at Linköping University in Sweden has debunked myths circulating on social media claiming that COVID-19 vaccines lead to a decrease in birth rates. The paper, published in the journal Communications Medicine, confirms that there is no link between vaccination and impaired fertility.
To verify the baseless claims spread across social media, researchers analyzed data from nearly 60,000 women aged 18 to 45 living in the Jönköping region.
The study covered the period from 2021 to 2024, during which 75% of the women had received at least one dose of the vaccine. The analysis showed that there are no statistically significant differences between vaccinated and unvaccinated women in terms of either birth rates or spontaneous abortions (miscarriages).
The study’s authors explain that the decline in birth rates in Sweden (and other countries) is due to entirely different, more logical reasons. Today, the generation at the typical age of potential parenthood (around 30 years old) consists of those born in the late 1990s—a period when Sweden was already experiencing low birth rates and a financial crisis.
Furthermore, economic uncertainty related to the pandemic and changes in social behavior during lockdowns led many couples to temporarily postpone the decision to have children.
Researchers also accounted for the age factor of the women during their analysis to ensure maximum accuracy. This study reaffirms that mRNA vaccines do not affect reproductive health, and the causes of declining birth rates should be sought in demographic and socio-economic shifts.
