SYRI researchers: Decline in birth rate likely linked to Covid pandemic

The significant decline in the birth rate in the Czech Republic between 2021 and 2022 is linked to the mass vaccination against Covid-19 of the population, according to scientists at the SYRI National Institute. The team of scientists studying the decline arrived at the conclusion that women deliberately postponed their plans to conceive over concerns about the possible side effects of the newly-developed vaccine. While fertility increased from 1.76 children per woman at the start of the pandemic to 1.83 between 2020 and 2021, it fell to 1.62 children per woman between 2021 and 2022. Demography experts have voiced concern regarding the decline in the birth rate, but this is the first study to link it to the Covid pandemic and concerns regarding whether it was advisable for pregnant women to get the shot.