September 29, 2023 – New data show that getting a COVID-19 vaccine while pregnant significantly reduces the possibility that a baby will have to be hospitalized for COVID-19.
The study A CDC study found that the vaccines were 54% effective in protecting infants from hospitalization as a consequence of COVID-19 in the primary three months of life and 35% effective in babies aged three to 5 months. Infants could be vaccinated against COVID-19 starting at six months of age.
Infants hospitalized with COVID-19 whose moms were unvaccinated were more more likely to require respiratory assistance than infants whose moms were vaccinated.
For the study, researchers analyzed data from 716 babies hospitalized between March 2022 and May 2023. Of the babies studied, 377 were hospitalized with COVID-19. Mothers were considered vaccinated in the event that they had received a minimum of two COVID vaccinations, one among which was administered while pregnant. All other moms of the babies studied were unvaccinated.
Vaccinated moms pass antibodies against COVID-19 to the fetus through the placenta. The authors noted that a limitation of the study was that it didn't analyze previous maternal infections, including in unvaccinated moms. They also said it was possible that “infection-related antibodies could provide some protection against COVID-19-related hospitalization of the infant.”
“Maternal vaccination during pregnancy provides some protection against COVID-19-related hospitalizations in infants, particularly in infants younger than 3 months of age,” the authors wrote. “Expectant mothers should keep their COVID-19 vaccinations up to date to protect themselves and their infants from hospitalizations and severe outcomes related to COVID-19.”
Previous Research has shown that COVID-19 disease while pregnant increases the chance of premature birth and stillbirth and that pregnant women are at increased risk of severe disease.
COVID vaccination rates amongst pregnant women range from 16% To 27%the CDC said. That compares to survey data released by the agency this week that found 47% of pregnant women reported receiving a flu shot throughout the last flu season. Among women who had a live birth, 54% reported receiving the Tdap vaccine, which might protect babies from pertussis (sometimes called “whooping cough”).
The Obstetricians and Gynecologists' Professional Group strongly recommends that each one pregnant women get vaccinated against COVID-19 and receive the most recent booster shot, adding that the vaccines are secure while pregnant and breastfeeding. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists points out that antibodies from the vaccine are passed from mother to baby across the placenta while pregnant and might also be passed to the infant via breast milk.
The researchers wrote that they might not analyze the timing of COVID vaccination while pregnant, specific brands or formulations of vaccines, or whether vaccine effectiveness varied across different subvariants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. They also noted that the outcomes could have been influenced by “maternal characteristics or protective behaviors,” and that the impact of breastfeeding, which can transmit antibodies to the infant, also couldn't be assessed as a consequence of incomplete data for some moms.