Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Vaccination and Assisted Reproduction Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

OBJECTIVE:To assess the association between coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination and female assisted reproduction outcomes through a systematic review and meta-Analysis.DATA SOURCES:We searched Medline (OVID), EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov on January 11, 2023, for original articles on assisted reproduction outcomes after COVID-19 vaccination. The primary outcome was rates of clinical pregnancy; secondary outcomes included number of oocytes retrieved, number of mature oocytes retrieved, fertilization rate, implantation rate, ongoing pregnancy rate, and live-birth rate.METHODS OF STUDY SELECTION:Two reviewers independently screened citations for relevance, extracted pertinent data, and rated study quality. Only peer-reviewed published studies were included.TABULATION, INTEGRATION, AND RESULTS:Our query retrieved 216 citations, of which 25 were studies with original, relevant data. Nineteen studies reported embryo transfer outcomes, with a total of 4,899 vaccinated and 13,491 unvaccinated patients. Eighteen studies reported data on ovarian stimulation outcomes, with a total of 1,878 vaccinated and 3,174 unvaccinated patients. There were no statistically significant results among our pooled data for any of the primary or secondary outcomes: clinical pregnancy rate (odds ratio [OR] 0.94, 95% CI 0.88-1.01, P=.10), number of oocytes retrieved (mean difference-0.26, 95% CI-0.68 to 0.15, P=.21), number of mature oocytes retrieved (mean difference 0.31, 95% CI-0.14 to 0.75, P=.18), fertilization rate (OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.87-1.11, P=.83), implantation rate (OR 0.92, 95% CI 0.84-1.00, P=.06), ongoing pregnancy rate (OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.86-1.06, P=.40), or live-birth rate (OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.78-1.17, P=.63). A subanalysis based on country of origin and vaccine type was also performed for the primary and secondary outcomes and did not change the study results.CONCLUSION:Vaccination against COVID-19 is not associated with different fertility outcomes in patients undergoing assisted reproductive technologies.SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION:PROSPERO, CRD42023400023.