Corona virus & fertility

Your safety comes first

Fertility treatments do not lose their relevance in the corona pandemic. However, many couples wonder if COVID-19 has any effects on the treatment. Do not worry: our center is open without restrictions and we will accompany you on your fertility journey with high security measures!

FAQs from our couples

Here you will find answers to all your questions about the corona virus, so that you have a good and safe feeling during your fertility journey.

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COVID-19 vaccination

Here you will find all the important information about the COVID-19 vaccination. Our team of doctors recommends it to all couples who are planning a pregnancy as well as pregnant women (after consultation with a doctor).

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Safe fertility journey

We already worked out a detailed COVID-19 prevention concept in the 1st lockdown in March 2020 and offer you the greatest possible security.

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Our team of doctors is clearly in favor of the COVID-19 vaccination and recommends it to all couples who are planning to conceive. We also recommend the vaccination - after consultation and upon request - to pregnant women. The vaccination helps prevent infection and thus protects mother and child.

The vaccination program against the COVID-19 infection has started in Austria. Without a doubt, high vaccination coverage and the resulting herd immunity is an important milestone in the fight against the pandemic. However, many couples who are preparing for pregnancy and parents-to-be are currently unsure whether and when they should be vaccinated against Corona. Vaccinations before and during pregnancy protect not only the mother but also the child from serious diseases and are therefore particularly important. 

Our recommendations for women: (as of April, 29th 2021)

  • YES to vaccination: If you are not currently pregnant or plan to become pregnant.
  • YES to vaccination: If you are currently pregnant AND have the following considerations*.
    • There is no approval for COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy yet, which means the application is an "off label use".
    • Pregnant women have an increased risk of contracting COVID-19 more severely.
    • COVID-19 disease in pregnancy is more likely to result in premature births.
    • Pregnant women respond very well to the vaccination and pass on protective antibodies to their child.
    • Recommendation for vaccination if you belong to a risk group (arterial hypertension, obesity, diabetes mellitus type 1 and type 2, severe asthma/respiratory diseases, chronic autoimmune diseases, other cardiovascular diseases).
    • Recommendation for vaccination in case of increased risk of infection.

    • In general, an individual benefit & risk assessment applies.

    • Over 100,000 pregnant women have already been vaccinated in the USA without subsequent problems.

    • Ideal time for the vaccination: Possible at any time, but recommended from the 12th week of pregnancy onwards.

 

*This recommendation is based on the recommendations of the American health authority CDC (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/recommendations/pregnancy.html) and applies to mRNA vaccines (e.g., Biontech/Pfizer) and professional societies (https://www.figo.org/covid-19-vaccination-pregnant-and-breastfeeding-women and https://www.oeggg.at/leitlinien-stellungnahmen/covid-19-sars-cov-2/).

 

Our recommendations for men: (as of April, 29th 2021)

  • YES to vaccination: To protect your pregnant partner and yourself from COVID-19 infection.


There is currently no evidence that vaccination against COVID-19 has a negative impact on fertility in women and men. International specialist societies therefore recommend couples who want to have children to get vaccinated against corona. We share this opinion, because an infection with COVID during pregnancy can result in an increased risk for mother and child, ”explains our medical director and president of the Austrian IVF society, Prof. Dr. Andreas Obruca.

The benefit of COVID-19 vaccination for pregnant women is now evident. Recently, the National Immunization Panel (NIG) has also decided on a recommendation: "So far, only limited experience with the use of COVID-19 vaccines in pregnant women is available, but these - without exception - did not indicate any abnormalities. Data has now been published on mRNA vaccines in particular, so mRNA vaccines should be preferred when vaccinating pregnant women."

A negative pregnancy test is not a prerequisite for a COVID-19 vaccination. Especially pregnant women in risk groups - regarding the infection but also illness - can and should - according to the recommendation of our team of doctors - be vaccinated after appropriate information. If a fever occurs after the vaccination, paracetamol can be prescribed.

The following recommendations apply equally to all COVID-19 vaccines:

You have NOT yet received a vaccination:
Ideally, BOTH vaccinations should be completed before starting treatment. Treatment can be started immediately after the 2nd vaccination.

You have already received the 1st vaccination:
You can start treatment immediately after the 1st vaccination. You can then have the 2nd vaccination as planned - however, if the vaccination date falls around the time of embryo transfer (+/- 3 days), we recommend freezing the embryos and using them at a later date.

You have already received the 2nd vaccination:
You can start treatment immediately.

You are already pregnant:
Vaccination (especially for high-risk groups) is possible at any time during pregnancy. In order to exclude a connection to spontaneous premature births, which also occur otherwise, the recommendation is to vaccinate after the 1st trimester. 

  • No admission to the Kinderwunschzentrum an der Wien if the PCR or antigen test is POSITIVE
  • in case of symptoms (fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, taste/smell disorder), admission is only permitted with a NEGATIVE antigen test.
  • Please inform us immediately if you have stayed in a risk area. https://www.bmeia.gv.at/reise-urlaub/reisewarierungen/
  • Prescriptions and Referrals: At the moment we would ask you to solely request such items by telephone or email, following which you will receive them by email or by post.

Please contact our team:

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Of course we want to meet and consult all of our patients in person and offer appointments on site.

If you prefer to have an online consultation with us we of course offer as a good and now proven alternative consultations via Zoom or telephone. Our Fertility Experts can offer you a professional and competent consultation via telemedicine without any loss of quality compared to a personal consultation. All sessions can be conducted via Zoom or telephone. The online appointments include:

  • personally getting to know each other
  • evaluation of your individual situation and all your concerns
  • medical anamnesis and consultation including treatment recommendations
  • planning of treatments
  • debriefings

Contact our team for an appointment or further information - we look forward to advising you personally!
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Patients who are planning a treatment at the moment or are undergoing a treatment right now in one of our partner institutes, should proceed as follows:

  • UNICA Institut in Brno, Czech Republic: Please get in touch with your coordinator from UNICA. The staff will inform you of the further steps to be taken.
  • GRAVITA Institut in Lodz, Poland: Please get in touch directly with Dr Wojciech Gontarek by E-Mail at office@gravita.info.pl.

Vaccinations before and during pregnancy protect not only the mother but also the child from serious diseases and are therefore particularly important. While live vaccines such as rubella and VZV are contraindicated during pregnancy, influenza vaccination and diphtheria/tetanus/pertussis are explicitly recommended.

The benefit of COVID-19 vaccination for pregnant women is now evident. Recently, the National Immunization Panel (NIG) has also decided on a recommendation: "So far, only limited experience with the use of COVID-19 vaccines in pregnant women is available, but these - without exception - did not indicate any abnormalities. Data has now been published on mRNA vaccines in particular, so mRNA vaccines should be preferred when vaccinating pregnant women."

In addition to the usual precautions, we recommend that our fertility patients have the influenza vaccination, especially in order to avoid a double infection with COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2 and influenza.This is true for non-vaccinated pregnant women as well as for non-vaccinated women undergoing fertility treatment.

There is no risk for pregnant women because of the influenza vaccination. Delaying the fertility therapy is also not necessary as a so-called non-live vaccine is used. There are no contra-indications therefore against the influenza vaccination during a pregnancy.

Even if an influenza season has apparently passed its peak, you should still have the influenza vaccination. In fact, vaccination against influenza is specifically recommended for pregnant women. The authorities in Germany (STIKO) responsible for vaccinations recommends the influenza vaccination for all pregnant women from the second trimester, and in the case of a higher health risk due to an underlying condition (for example asthma or diabetes) from the first trimester.