Can covid vaccine induce menstrual changes?

Some women claim that after receiving the covid-19 vaccine, their periods have changed. Such claims raise the question of a link between Covid vaccines and the menstrual cycle.
The link between changes in the menstrual cycle and COVID-19 vaccination is likely and should be researched says Dr Victoria Male, a reproductive specialist at Imperial College London in an editorial published in the peer-reviewed British Medical Journal.
As per Dr Male, periods or sudden vaginal bleeding are not listed as common side effects of COVID-19 vaccination. Yet by September 2, the UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) had received more than 30,000 reports of adverse drug reactions, she said.
Nonetheless, most people's menstruation return to normal the following cycle and there's no indication that COVID-19 vaccination has an unfavourable effect on fertility, according to the expert.
According to Dr Male, "One important lesson is that the effects of medical interventions on menstruation should not be an afterthought in future research.”
Since the number of reports is minimal in relation to both the number of people vaccinated and the prevalence of menstrual disorders in general, the MHRA claims that its surveillance data does not show a link between changes in menstrual cycles and COVID-19 vaccinations.
Ms Male, on the other hand, believes that the manner data is obtained makes it impossible to draw clear conclusions. In the editorial, she suggests that further methodologies are needed to examine rates of menstrual changes in vaccinated and unvaccinated groups.
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Menstrual alterations have been reported after COVID-19 vaccination, for both mRNA and adenovirus-vectored vaccines. This suggests that if a link exists, it is most likely due to the immunological response to vaccination rather than a specific vaccine component stated Ms Male.
The body's immune reaction to the virus may also influence the menstrual cycle, according to the editorial, with one study indicating a menstrual disruption in around a quarter of women infected with S-CoV-2.
If a connection between vaccination and menstrual changes is established, she says, it will be possible for people who want to get vaccinated to prepare in advance for any changes in their cycles.
Doctors should encourage their patients to report any changes in their periods or unexpected vaginal bleeding to the MHRA's system, after receiving the vaccination, said Dr Male.