CRM Covid Vaccine update 27/5/21
The age for people in the UK being offered and receiving vaccines has decreased recently and we want to answer any questions that you may have regarding this topic. The following FAQs have been complied by the British Fertility Society and The Association of Reproductive and Clinical Scientists in the UK:
Should people of reproductive age receive a Covid-19 vaccine? Yes. People of reproductive age are advised to have the vaccine when they receive their invitation for vaccination. This includes those who are trying to have a baby as well as those who are thinking about having a baby, whether that is in the near future or in a few years’ time.
Can any of the Covid-19 vaccines affect fertility? No. There is absolutely no evidence, and no theoretical reason, that any of the vaccines can affect the fertility of women or men. You may be offered a specific brand of vaccine for your specific age group.
Can I have a Covid-19 vaccine during my fertility treatment (IVF, Frozen Embryo Transfer, Egg Freezing, Ovulation Induction, Intra-Uterine Insemination, using donated gametes or not)? Yes. You may wish to consider the timing of having a Covid-19 vaccine during your fertility treatment, taking into account that some people may get bothersome side effects in the few days after vaccination that they do not want to have during treatment. These include for example, tenderness at the injection site, fever, headache, muscle ache or feeling tired. It may be sensible to separate the date of vaccination by a few days from some treatment procedures (for example, egg collection in IVF), so that any symptoms, such as fever, might be attributed correctly to the vaccine or the treatment procedure.
Should I delay my fertility treatment until after I have had the Covid-19 vaccine? The only reason to consider delaying fertility treatment until after you have been vaccinated would be if you wanted to be protected against Covid-19 before you were pregnant. The chance of successful treatment is unlikely to be affected by a short delay, for example of up to 6 months, particularly if you are 37 years of age or younger. However, delays of several months may affect your chance of success once you are over 37 and especially if you are 40 years of age or older.
How soon after having a Covid-19 vaccine can I start my fertility treatment? Immediately – you do not need to delay your fertility treatment, unless you wish to have your second dose before pregnancy (see above).
Please be aware that the evidence and advice for COVID-19 vaccines for those trying to achieve a pregnancy or those who are pregnant already is rapidly developing. We will update our advice here when more information becomes available.
Covid-19 Treatment Update January 2021
After the recent Government announcement of a more strict lockdown commencing on 6/1/2021 we are pleased to be able to let you know that we will still be going ahead with treatments in the CRM as usual
It is more important than ever that you self-isolate before and especially during your treatment. Please continue to take all efforts to keep safe and we look forward to treating you in the CRM’
Covid-19 Safety Measure changes in CRM
New measures have been put into place to protect the safety of patients and staff and to minimise the risk of spreading the infection.
Social Distancing:
In line with the social distancing advice issued by the government, we have added precautionary measures to reduce the number of patients in the clinic at any one time. Therefore, patients are asked not to attend the CRM wherever possible.
Is it safe to resume treatment?:
At present there is limited experience of Covid-19 during pregnancy, however current information from the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology suggests that the severity of infection is no worse during pregnancy than in other healthy adults. At this stage, there is no evidence of an increased risk of miscarriage, fetal anomalies or adverse pregnancy complications. However, the risk to individual patients will vary depending on their clinical situation, risk profile, and the likely persistence of the virus within their local community. Please be aware that other pregnancy care policies may also be different during the Covid-19 crisis
It is your decision whether to proceed with treatment or not and a record will be made in your notes.
Patient triage and testing:
All patients wishing to commence treatment with CRM will need to complete a coronavirus screening questionnaire; this will be needed more than once during treatment.
Patients and partners will also need to complete a ‘Covid-19 Consent for Treatment’ form prior to commencing treatment.
To reduce the spread of coronavirus and the risk to patients and clinic staff, during certain treatments we will need you to undergo Covid-19 swab tests; these will happen twice during your IVF treatment. We will only proceed with the treatment if the results are negative.
Any patients testing positive will be need to self-isolate for 7 days and will be unable to continue with their treatment. If your treatment is cancelled due to Covid-19 test results, the CRM clinical team will inform you of how to proceed once you are no longer Covid-19 positive.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE):
All staff will be required to wear PPE to protect patients and other members of the CRM team
The UK government does not recommend the use of face masks for the public for medical appointments however patients may wear face masks if they wish to do so. CRM cannot provide face masks for patients.
Please bring your own pens to every appointment to fill in and sign consents and documents.
Counselling:
We understand that during these unpredictable times patients may require extra support and our counselling service remains available for you to access.
Finally we would like to thank you for your patience during these exceptional times. We will do our best to help you through your treatment and we wish you all the best of luck.
Recent figures show the excellent results we have continued to achieve at CRM Coventry. Some of those figures for IVF/ICSI treatment during 2019 can be seen here:
Age
Pregnancy rate per embryo transfer
Under 35
56.5%
36-39
46.1%
40-42
25.0%
43-44
5.6%
Our sincere thanks to all our patients who have, without exception, understood the reasons for us being unable to offer treatment, and for your support of our staff at this difficult time. We understand how desperate many of you will be to start your investigations or re-start treatment and we hope to do this as soon as we are permitted.
Finally we want to thank our hardworking CRM staff some of whom have been invaluable in the UHCW response to the Covid-19 pandemic by working in other wards in the hospital. Here are some photos of them at work.
We are one of country’s leading fertility centres incorporating a variety of cutting edge treatment options and world class research to maximise your chances of successful treatment.
The main risk from IVF treatment is having a multiple pregnancy. We are very proud that our multiple pregnancy rate is under 10% of all pregancies achieved whilst maintaining one of the highest clinical pregnancy rates in the UK.
In the latest statistics provided by the HFEA (our regulator), we are the number one rated NHS led IVF centre in the UK for pregnancy per embryo transferred in younger patients. This is achieved by the great amount of attention to detail from every member of our multi-disciplinary team throughout your treatment. Our close links to the Biomedical Research Unit in Reproductive Health at the University of Warwick (including the Tommy’s miscarriage centre), only further the level of care and treatment options we can provide here at Coventry CRM.
Services provided at the CRM:
Diagnostic andrology including post-vasectomy analysis Reproductive surgery (e.g. tubal and endometriosis) HyCoSy tubal patency assessment IVF (In-Vitro Fertilisation) ICSI (IntraCytoplasmic Sperm Injection) Egg Donation Intra Uterine Insemination Ovulation Induction Surgical Sperm Retrieval Fertility preservation Sperm, Egg and Embryo Storage
Find out more about the Centre, our team and the different treatments available.
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IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON BLOOD TESTING DUE TO COVID-19
If you are experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19, e.g. fever, loss of taste or continuous new cough, please DO NOT attend for a blood test.
Click on the map for information about phlebotomy clinics in Coventry. You can book an appointment online at the locations in red.
Please book an appointment before attending for a blood test. Click on the ‘Book Online’ button above. Booking an appointment helps patients, their carers and family members to plan their hospital visit better, helping to reduce clinic waiting times and enabling patients to be seen much more quickly.
Location: Outpatients Department, on the ground floor. Opening hours: 8am-4.45pm, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays).
Children under 16 years old will need to book online here.
Please book an appointment before attending for a blood test, click on the ‘Book Online’ button above. Patients from Rugby and the surrounding areas are able to access the Friends Blood Taking Unit at the Hospital of St Cross.
Referrals for blood tests can be from GP's, practice nurses or from hospital consultants. Patients are also able to leave other samples, such as urine, which have been collected at home, at the hospital's Pathology Reception.
Location: Near Brookfield House, just off North Road - map here. Opening hours: The blood taking clinic sessions for adults and children are listed below:
Monday -Friday 7am-4:45pm Appointment only
Wednesday Evening 5pm-7pm Suspended due to COVID
Saturday Morning 7am-10pm Suspended due to COVID
April 2020 NEW - This Clinic is now by appointment. Please book an appointment before attending for a blood test. Click on the ‘Book Online’ button above.
Address: Stoney Stanton Road, Coventry CV1 4FS Location: Access is via the main doors, the Phlebotomy team are in Area A. Opening hours: Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays). 8am–4.45pm
Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT)
Specialist Tests - There are a small number of specialist tests where blood needs to be taken on a hospital site as the sample must be transferred to the laboratory rapidly for the test to be undertaken. Click here for a list of these specialist tests and to find out more.