Following reports of menstrual disorders such as heavy menstrual bleeding and even absence of menstruation from women who had received COVID vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTech, and Moderna, the European Medicines Agency’s safety committee says it was reviewing the reports.
According to the agency, the assessment was in view of reports of menstrual disorders after receiving either of the two vaccines, both based on messenger RNA technology. However, it has not yet been determined if there is a causal link.
The agency explained that several underlying medical conditions could contribute to the menstrual disorders, stress, and tiredness inclusive, stating that there had been reports of such disorders following Covid-19 infection.
A recent study funded by the National Institutes of Health, which collected data from nearly 4,000 users of a smartphone app that tracks menstrual cycles, showed that vaccination against COVID-19 was linked with a small, temporary change in menstrual cycle length.
The agency says it is not yet clear whether there was a causal link between the vaccines and the reports.
In December, the agency said it had not established a link between changes in menstrual cycles and COVID-19 vaccines after a study in Norway suggested some women had heavier periods after being inoculated.
Following a review of available evidence, the agency’s Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) has requested an evaluation of all available data, along with reports from patients and healthcare professionals, clinical trials.
Also, the agency addressed the possibility of vaccines affecting fertility, saying that there was also no evidence to suggest that COVID-19 vaccines affected fertility.
