Glasgow woman says IVF treatment delay due to Covid risk is 'crushing'
The Scottish Government has deferred fertility treatment for those who aren't fully vaccinated
Last updated 8th Jan 2022
A Glasgow woman has told how changes to Covid vaccination rules for those receiving fertility treatment have left her "devastated".
Catriona, who is not yet fully vaccinated, said it felt "crushing" to be refused IVF treatment after she missed her booster appointment due to catching the virus over Christmas.
The Scottish Government has temporarily deferred fertility treatment for people who have not received three coronavirus vaccine doses.
The rule, which came into force last month due to rising Omicron cases, applies to all patients - unless they are waiting to become eligible for a booster.
Catriona, who has been going through the fertility process for three years, said the "blanket ban" fails to take individual circumstances into consideration.
The 36-year-old said: "To have this hope taken away from you very suddenly, without your knowledge or without anything that you can control - it's just deeply unfair.
"The ministers that have made this decision have had no thought about the consequences of this or about the impact on people's lives.
"Infertility affects your mental health and your relationships in a way that no one really understands."
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Catriona was told that she was still able to go ahead with fertility treatment on January 5 after confirming to hospital staff that she was double-vaccinated.
She was later turned away at the hospital due to not having her booster dose.
Catriona said: "The changes in policy are outrageous and they weren't communicated widely with everyone at all.
"If I hadn't seen it on Facebook, I wouldn't have phoned the hospital. And then when I phoned the hospital, I got wrong information.
She added: "I actually phoned and said, 'This is what's happened - am I allowed in?', and they said, 'Yeah, that'll be fine'.
"So, it was just kind of a crushing thing when she said, 'No, it's not going to happen'."
Catriona believes she did everything she could to follow the rules and has since rebooked her booster appointment for the earliest date possible.
She has been told she will be prioritised next month, but says she has "lost confidence in the system" after being delayed previously.
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Vaccines are deemed safe to give in pregnancy and cut the risk of severe Covid infection, but doctors were cautious about advising pregnant patients to get vaccinated early last year.
The Scottish Government said the Covid-19 vaccines are “safe and strongly recommended in pregnancy to reduce the significant risks of Covid-19 to unvaccinated pregnant women and their babies”.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Due to the rising number of Covid-19 cases, and concerns about the impact on unvaccinated women, Ministers have taken a decision to temporarily defer fertility treatment for women who are not fully vaccinated.
"We continue to review the evidence and will look to review this decision early this year.”