False: It is not safe to receive the COVID-19 vaccine during menstruation.

By: Sunil Kumar
April 28 2021

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There is no scientific evidence to prove that people should not receive the vaccine during their periods. Many social media users have shared experiences of the COVID-19 vaccine altering their menstrual cycles. A few posts also claim that women shouldn't take receive the vaccine four or five days before their period, because their immunity would not be as high. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have not provided any findings on how the vaccine can affect periods. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has not advised on the issue. The Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech, developers of Covishield and Covaxin vaccines respectively, do not advise against this on their fact sheets. These companies clearly state that women at any point in time can safely get vaccinated. The New York Times published an opinion article written by Dr. Alice Lu-Culligan, an M.D.-Ph.D. student at Yale School of Medicine, where she studies the immunobiology of pregnancy and fetal development, and Randi Hutter Epstein, a writer in residence at Yale School of Medicine. They said that so far, there is no data is linking the vaccines to changes in menstruation. A long list of triggers could cause changes to the menstrual cycle, including stress, illness, changes in diet, and physical activity. The article also said that clinical trials should track and document menstrual changes as they do other possible side effects. "Like the fevers reported after the vaccines, a transient change in one's period may not be bad for your overall health or have any lasting effects, but it's still informative," they said. The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a lot of potentially dangerous misinformation. For reliable advice on COVID-19, including symptoms, prevention, and available treatment, please refer to the World Health Organisation or your national healthcare authority. However, there is no scientific evidence whether the COVID-19 vaccine can not take during the period as still, the study is going on.