The COVID-19 mRNA vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech SE does not damage sperm, according to a study by Israeli researchers.
They collected sperm samples from 43 male volunteers before and roughly a month after the men were vaccinated.
None of their sperm parameters - volume, concentration, or motility - had changed significantly after vaccination, the researchers reported Monday on medRxiv ahead of peer review.
"These preliminary results are reassuring to the young male population undergoing vaccination worldwide," the researchers said.
"Couples desiring to conceive should vaccinate, as vaccination does not affect sperm."
In contrast, the SARS-CoV-2 virus - which causes COVID-19 - can damage sperm and testicles.
A case report in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine last year noted an otherwise healthy 37-year-old COVID-19 patient developed testicular pain after contracting the virus, and semen in males affected with COVID-19 can demonstrate "impaired spermatocyte quality, potentially having a future impact on male fertility".
Another study found one in five men who catch the virus can have their sperm wiped out entirely.
Reuters / Newshub.
