OUTCOMES OF DONOR OOCYTE RETRIEVALS FOR RECIPIENT IN VITRO FERTILIZATION (IVF) PATIENTS ARE UNAFFECTED BY COVID-19 VACCINATION

To evaluate evidence for any potential adverse effects of COVID-19 vaccination associated with oocyte donation for IVF. Records of all non-directed oocyte donors undergoing multiple retrieval cycles for recipient IVF patients performed at a single fertility center from February 2017 through March 2022, including donation cycles both before and after COVID-19 vaccination, were reviewed retrospectively. For each oocyte donor, outcomes were averaged for all donations prior to any COVID-19 vaccination, and separately for all donations after receiving one or more COVID-19 vaccinations. Numbers of oocytes retrieved, mature (MII), fertilized (2pn) and blastocysts were compared before versus after COVID-19 vaccination by paired sample t-test. Thirty-two subjects underwent multiple donation cycles, including oocyte aspirations both before and after receiving at least one Covid-19 vaccination. The duration of time between donors’ most recent COVID-19 vaccination and subsequent oocyte aspiration ranged from 2 weeks to 11 months (mean=3.9 months, SD=2.8, median=3). There were no significant outcome differences between pre-COVAX and post-COVAX oocyte aspirations in any of the treatment outcomes evaluated. Numbers of oocytes retrieved, matured, fertilized, and developing to the blastocyst stage were all as high after COVID-19 vaccination as before.Tabled 1Before COVID-19 vaccinationAfter COVID-19 vaccinationMeanStd DevRangeMeanStd DevRangeNumber of cycles3.51.81-81.70.81-4Oocytes retrieved261010-54291112-54MII oocytes2198-4623911-472pn fertilization1778-3819711-40Blastocysts1463-291475-33 Open table in a new tab The results of this study using individual oocyte donors as their own controls to evaluate any potential adverse effects of COVID-19 vaccination on ovarian hyperstimulation and oocyte retrieval for donation to recipient IVF patients suggest that COVID-19 vaccination does not interfere with treatment response or outcome.