Surrogacy and the COVID Vaccine

In May, we reached a significant milestone in the COVID epidemic. It’s the fourth summer living with COVID-19 but with a welcome reduction in the number of new cases and hospitalizations. On May 5, the World Health Organization formally declared that COVID-19 was no longer a global health emergency. And on May 11, the national emergency status in the U.S. also ended after a bipartisan resolution and signing by President Biden.

Everywhere we look, it appears that we are on the other side of COVID. And this also means that the surrogacy journey has become more fulfilling in very important ways. Intended parents are now able to be present at embryo transfers and births, plus surrogates can have their support persons with them at births and at all medical appointments. In this sense, we are definitely back to normal and it makes the surrogacy process much more calm and satisfying for all.

One area central to the surrogacy journey, whether surrogates should be fully vaccinated before starting the process, is still a controversial topic. Since we are no longer at the height of COVID, new attention has been given to the debate. Currently, the majority of IVF clinics require that surrogates be fully vaccinated and it has excluded a number of potential surrogates who would otherwise be excellent surrogate candidates.

Pregnancy and the COVID Vaccine

Medical data strongly suggests that the benefits of getting a COVID vaccine far outweigh the risks for women who are pregnant or who might become pregnant. Not only does being fully vaccinated increase the safety for the woman carrying the baby but also makes the overall pregnancy safer and provides immunity for the infant after birth. The CDC lists the following benefits for pregnant women and infants:

• Pregnant women who are infected with COVID are at higher risk for severe illness, compared to those who are not pregnant.
• Pregnant women with COVID are at increased risk for preterm labor, stillbirth, and other pregnancy complications if infected.
• If vaccinated, COVID antibodies can be transferred and protect the baby, decreasing the possibility of severe infection among infants 6 months or younger.

Nonetheless, there are still questions about vaccine safety with 30% of women in the U.S. not fully vaccinated at this time.  The vaccine has not been available for long and there are still worries about long-term side effects and overall safety. A large group of the U.S. population still feels strongly about these concerns and has not pursued vaccination.

Can you still be a surrogate even if you are not vaccinated?

The short answer is yes, you can definitely be a surrogate even if you are not fully vaccinated. There are clinics that Capital Surrogacy works with that do not have a COVID vaccination requirement. And there are a number of intended parents looking for qualified and giving surrogates who specifically are not vaccinated, or the intended parents simply do not see full vaccination as a necessary requirement in a surrogate candidate.

We believe that the decision to get fully vaccinated from COVID should be between the medical professionals (clinic doctor/OBGYN) and the surrogate/intended parents. We will base the match decision on similar perspectives on the vaccine. We also strongly encourage all parties to have a conversation about the COVID vaccine and pregnancy with their medical professionals at the beginning of the surrogacy journey and definitely before the match so that they can make an informed decision about their preferences.

At Capital Surrogacy, we understand that surrogates and intended parents have different philosophies and needs. What is most important is that the surrogate and intended parent(s) that we match agree on the plans for the pregnancy, including whether the surrogate should be vaccinated. We want all parties to feel comfortable about their choices and focus completely on the important steps in their surrogacy journeys.

We also hope that the situation will continue improving and that we are indeed on the other side of COVID. All signs point to yes, but what we are sure of is that all parties – surrogates, intended parents, and their families, are now benefiting from the new freedoms that are available, that positively impact their surrogacy journeys. We are grateful for our current situation and wish our intended parents and surrogates a positive and satisfying experience and outcome for their surrogacy journeys.

We encourage all prospective intended parents and surrogates to contact Capital Surrogacy and learn more about our processes and overall philosophy. Please visit and complete the short contact form, we cannot wait to hear from you!