Is the Flu Vaccine linked to Infertility?

Submitted by Angie on Fri 09/24/2010

Is the Flu Vaccine linked to Infertility? It depends on who you ask. While searching the latest infertility news recently, I came across a nugget of information I hadn’t seen before – a cautionary tale warning women not to get the flu vaccine because it was linked to infertility? I couldn’t track down the original author of the warning (so I’m naturally wary), but he or she argues that, “if you take the Fluarix swine flu vaccine manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline or any of the other swine flu vaccines that contain Polysorbate 80,” you’ll be putting your fertility at risk. The arguments go on for awhile, but start with the introduction of Polysorbate 80, apparently in the Fluarix swine flu vaccine manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline, according to the CDC. Unfortunately, the rhetoric goes downhill from there and ends with the words “government conspiracy.” Don’t make vaccination decisions based on anonymous websites –especially ones that use A LOT OF CAPS and EXCLAMATION MARKS!!!!!!!!!! I still don’t know about the flu vaccine and infertility, but I do know that the ASRM has published a list of recommended vaccines that women who want to get pregnant should have, and you can read it here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19007619 Plus, the ASRM has published a fact sheet on the H1N1 flu shot and its impact on pregnancy. You can download it here.

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