The covid vaccine prolonged and delayed women’s periods, according to two peer reviewed studies.
One study funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) saw over 19,000 women both vaccinated and unvaccinated download an app that tracked their monthly menstrual cycle.
Participants who were vaccinated experienced an average delay of 0.71 days in getting their period. Those who were doubly vaccinated within one menstrual cycle saw an average delay of four days with some even experiencing a delay of eight days or more.
Speaking on the findings Director of the NIH’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Diana Bianchi said that the findings provided clarity for women who may have experienced adverse effects from the covid vaccine and reassured this category that the impact is temporary.
“Changes following vaccination appear to be small, within the normal range of variation, and temporary,” she said.
The study, which appeared in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), seems to confirm a previous NIH study published in January of this year which concluded similar findings.
Several women have described experiencing more strenuous periods following their covid inoculation.
Speaking to The College View, Olivia, described suffering from more painful periods after receiving the Pfizer vaccine.
“I had more cramping in the run up to my period than usual but I didn’t realise I had a problem until my period started and it was really painful,” she said.
Olivia, who is a medical statistician by trade, mentioned that while she didn’t experience a delay or prolonging of her period, this may have been due to the fact she was taking contraception.
The NIH’s studies did not include women on the pill.
The 23-year-old stated that while she was diagnosed with Covid during the ‘delta wave’ last year she did not feel getting a booster vaccine was worth the pain.
“I decided not to get my booster vaccine because the painful periods just did not seem worth it at all for what would be of little risk to me.
“I’m glad that the government backed down on vaccine passport plans so that I could make the best decision for my own health.”
She added that she hopes the findings will encourage more sensitivity when approaching the subject of women’s health.
“Women’s healthcare more generally is neglected, and painful periods are often accepted as normal for women which I’ve always thought of as unacceptable.
“Hopefully the response to the complaints about the COVID vaccine encourage more investigations into how other drugs impact women’s health and if so, that would be a real positive.”
Another woman who spoke to the Washington Post described a similar post-vaccine reaction. Caiityya Pillai (21) from Berkeley, California said that following the vaccine her period grew more painful and lasted much longer than usual.
“The pain wasn’t like a normal pain. It was to the point where I was crying and could not get out of bed,” she told the US based publication.
When pressed for comment by The College View the Department of Health cited the rigorous approval mechanism that covid vaccines go through.
“COVID-19 vaccines can only be approved and used if they comply with all the requirements of quality, safety and efficacy set out in the EU pharmaceutical legislation.
“Any authorised vaccine will be subject to ongoing monitoring in Ireland by the Health Product Regulatory Authority (HPRA).”
Theo McDonald