Doubts regarding the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines in pregnant women were later compounded by the question of whether the immunity they acquired would be transferred to their children during pregnancy.
Researchers at New York University cleared up the mystery and assured that Pregnant women who received a COVID vaccine pass on their protection to their unborn babies.
For the realization of the study published in American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology; Researchers took blood samples from 36 babies born to mothers who had received either the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccine.; and the results showed that they all had antibodies that fight the
“Mothers of newborns with cord blood titers received their second vaccine dose more than 20 weeks before delivery. Three women had an interval from vaccination to delivery of more than 20 weeks,” the authors of the paper said in the publication, noting that mothers who had received the vaccine in the second half of their pregnancy had the highest levels of antibodies in their cord blood.
The researchers insisted that the findings prove that vaccines have the “power to protect two lives at once by preventing serious illness in both mothers and babies.”
“These findings demonstrate transplacental antibody transfer following COVID-19 mRNA vaccination during pregnancy with 100% of cord blood samples having high levels of anti-S antibodies,” they highlighted.
Dr. Ashley Roman, an obstetrician at New York University and one of the study’s lead authors, said: “If babies might be born with antibodies, it might protect them in the first few months of their lives, when they are most vulnerable.”
Children are known to face a small risk of becoming seriously ill from COVID-19, as a large number of studies have shown since the pandemic began. But the risk is slightly higher among infants, who have weaker immune systems.
Thus, data from Public Health England (PHE) shows that Pregnant women in Britain still hesitant to get jab; with only 10% of them having an appointment by the end of July, the most recent date for which data is available.
This is despite women becoming eligible for the vaccine at the same time as the rest of their age group – starting in April in that country.
The numbers are slightly higher in the United States, where 23% of pregnant mothers are vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Safe vaccines
All studies so far have suggested that mRNA vaccines, such as Pfizer and Moderna, are safe for pregnant women — with no evidence to support claims that they cause stillbirths or genetic defects.
Despite the small sample size of the present study, “It is encouraging that neonatal antibody levels are high if women are vaccinated”according to lead author Dr. Jennifer Lighter.
For her, “high levels of transplacental antibody transfer are not surprising. It is consistent with what is seen with other vaccines.” “Our findings add to a growing list of important reasons why women should be advised to receive the COVID vaccine during pregnancy for the added benefit of their newborn receiving crucial protection,” she added.
Severe illness due to COVID-19 is rare in pregnant women, but is more likely if infection occurs in the third trimester of pregnancy.
Pregnant women who become ill with the virus are two to three times more likely to give birth to their baby prematurely.; as some studies have shown.
“We strongly urge anyone who has not yet taken up the offer to get both doses as soon as possible and for pregnant women to come forward for their second dose eight weeks following their first dose,” said PH head of immunisation Mary Ramsay.
Along the same lines, Dr Edward Morris, president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, recommended vaccination during pregnancy, “since It is the most effective way to protect women and their babies from serious illnesses and premature birth.”.
“We are concerned that rising COVID infection rates will negatively impact pregnant women,” she stressed.
Infobae
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2024-07-04 08:52:12
