Health expert denies Covid vaccine causes infertility
Government and health experts are battling a wave of misinformation and hesitancy amid heightened fears of vaccine side effects.
This comes amid a stubborn wave of Covid-19 infections while the vaccine uptake has slowed.
According to the Gauteng General Practitioners’ Collaboration, the country’s fight against Covid-19 is no longer hampered by an undersupply of vaccines but an under-demand.
“Despite having enough vaccines, we are hearing about vaccination centres standing empty. This is unacceptable. People are jumping to false and dangerous conclusions that the side effects are harmful and may even result in death,” says the organisation’s Sheri Fanaroff.
“The risk of being infected with Covid-19 is far greater than the risk of getting vaccinated. There may be mild side effects, such as a low-grade fever and headache, body aches and pains, and redness or soreness at the site of injection.
“However, these should subside within a few days, and are a sign the body is building protection against the virus.”
In a bid to vaccinate a larger portion of the population, government opened up its vaccination drive to the under-34 cohort on Friday.
Despite the high numbers that turned up to get the jab, Fanaroff says there is still some concern about the latest research that shows young people are even more hesitant to get the vaccine than their older counterparts.
“They either feel strong enough to fight Covid-19 or are concerned about side effects and possible implications for their fertility later in life.”
She assured the vaccine doesn’t result in infertility or erectile dysfunction.
