CDC study: COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy protects baby after birth

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CDC study: COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy protects baby after birth

CDC study: COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy protects baby after birth

According to CNET, a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that babies under 6 months of age can be protected from hospitalization for the COVID-19 virus if pregnant women are vaccinated during pregnancy.

CDC study: COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy protects baby after birth

Two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna mRNA vaccine during pregnancy were 61 percent effective in protecting infants under 6 months from hospitalization for COVID-19, according to research published this week in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report . The study, which did not include information on those who were vaccinated before pregnancy or who received Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine, compared information from July 2021 to January 2022 at 20 pediatric hospitals in 17 states.

“When people get the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy, their bodies produce antibodies to protect themselves from COVID-19, and these antibodies are found in umbilical cord blood,” CDC Division of Infant Outcomes Surveillance Research and Prevention Chief Dr. Meaney-Delman said at a media briefing on Tuesday.

“While we knew that these antibodies crossed the placenta, prior to this study, we had no data to demonstrate whether these antibodies could confer protection against COVID-19 in infants,” she said.

Completion of the vaccination in late pregnancy was more effective (80%) in preventing hospitalization of the infant than in early pregnancy (32% effective within 20 weeks), but the CDC notes that comparisons of such timelines should be interpreted with caution.

The results of the new study are important because there is currently no vaccine for COVID-19 developed for infants younger than 6 months. A COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech for children 6 months to 4 years old is currently being tested after the companies and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decided to delay authorization until all three doses that may be needed are available more data.

While newer research has focused on protecting babies from COVID-19, earlier research has shown the importance of vaccinating pregnant women for the health of themselves and their developing fetuses.

A large study from Scotland, published in the journal Nature in January, found that unvaccinated pregnant women were more likely to contract COVID-19 than vaccinated women who became ill during pregnancy The disease is hospitalized, and its babies and fetuses are also more likely to die.

Here’s what experts have to say about pregnancy, COVID-19, and vaccines.

Should you get the COVID-19 vaccine if you are pregnant?

The CDC made official recommendations last August that pregnant women, breastfeeding people, and those who want to become pregnant in the future should get a COVID-19 vaccine. ACOG and SMFM also recommend that pregnant women get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Other vaccines are also recommended or offered during pregnancy. Some vaccines against other diseases are not recommended for pregnant women because they contain (very small amounts) of live virus. None of the coronavirus vaccines in the United States use live viruses, so they are safe during pregnancy.

Pregnant women who are vaccinated against COVID-19 should monitor themselves for fever, a common side effect after vaccination, and take acetaminophen if necessary. According to the CDC, fever during pregnancy is associated with adverse outcomes.

If you am pregnant, do you need a booster shot?

As new omicron variants emerge, the CDC recommends booster vaccinations for everyone in the U.S. 12 years and older, including pregnant women. In fact, while the CDC’s guidance to the general public has been reinforced because of the omicron variant, pregnant people are eligible for the booster shot earlier simply because they are at increased risk of severe COVID-19 compared to non-pregnant people .

According to FDA and CDC guidance, pregnant women should receive a Pfizer or Moderna booster shot at least 5 months after their second dose of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or at least 2 months after a J&J vaccine.

The CDC now says everyone should opt for the Moderna or Pfizer booster shots because of a rare but serious risk of blood clots with Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine. Although rare overall, women between the ages of 30 and 49 are at higher risk after a single dose of the vaccine.

What are the side effects of vaccines for pregnant women?

Preliminary data from about 35,000 pregnant women who were vaccinated through the V-safe program and who volunteered their information showed that pregnant women experienced the same vaccine side effects reported by others: temporary injection pain in the arm, fatigue, headache, muscle aches and fever .

However, it is important to note that fever from any cause is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, and the CDC recommends that pregnant women who develop a fever after vaccination take acetaminophen to lower their body temperature. (Fever can also be a symptom of COVID-19).

Why are pregnant women at high risk for COVID-19?

In May, CNET interviewed Dr. Ella Speichinger, an obstetrician-gynecologist at the University of Missouri Health Care. It’s not entirely known why people who are pregnant are at higher risk, she said, but it could be because pregnant people’s immune systems are naturally suppressed so their bodies don’t reject the growing fetus, or because pregnancy can alter the body’s response to How the immune response to COVID-19 works.

“I’ve had many patients who have contracted COVID during their pregnancy and they’ve been fine,” she said. “But there have definitely been severe cases where patients have had to give birth early because they can no longer provide oxygen to their fetuses.”

In the Nature study, the authors noted that while pregnant women are not at an increased risk of contracting COVID-19, they are more likely than their non-pregnant peers to be admitted to intensive care, and if they do get sick, will die from the disease.

When should pregnant women get vaccinated?

Scientists studying those who were vaccinated before 20 weeks of pregnancy found no increased risk of miscarriage compared with those who were not, according to a report from the V-safe pregnancy registry. Early data reflect vaccinations later in pregnancy.

It may be that due to the naturally high miscarriage rate in the first three months, some people insist on not being vaccinated in the first three months, so patients are more cautious. About 10 percent of known pregnancies end in miscarriage, but the risk also increases with age, according to ACOG. About 80% of miscarriages occur in the first trimester of pregnancy.

“Most people are worried in the first trimester because in general the risk of miscarriage is high,” Speichinger said. “Confusing miscarriage with vaccination is what causes people to be hesitant to get vaccinated in the first trimester.”

Research suggests that pregnant women who are vaccinated in the third month of pregnancy may pass on antibodies to their newborns.

What are the risks of getting vaccinated against COVID-19 during pregnancy?

According to the CDC, pregnant and newly pregnant people are at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19, including death, and they are also at increased risk of preterm birth (born before 37 weeks) and other adverse pregnancy outcomes including stillbirth. Other health factors in pregnant women, including a high BMI, diabetes or heart disease, may increase this risk, according to the SMFM.

The large Scottish study found that unvaccinated people were also significantly more likely to experience perinatal death (the death of a fetus or newborn within weeks of birth) at delivery.

What if you are breastfeeding?

The CDC reports that breastfeeders who have received the mRNA vaccine develop COVID-19 antibodies in their breast milk. In a small study of lactating healthcare workers, researchers from the University of Florida found that their breast milk had “substantial” levels of antibodies.

In its latest report, the CDC strongly recommends that people who are breastfeeding and those who have recently become pregnant get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Does the COVID-19 vaccine cause infertility?

All existing research states that the COVID-19 vaccine does not cause infertility. But a study suggests that COVID-19 infection may make male partners (temporarily) less fertile. However, the same study found no differences in fertility among male partners who tested positive after about two months. Possible causes include inflammation of the testicles or erectile dysfunction.

Concerns about infertility and a COVID-19 vaccine stemmed from a now-refuted blog post that claimed the vaccine would make a pregnant woman’s body attack a protein needed to form the placenta early in pregnancy, as it asserted, Spike protein in COVID-19 vaccine is ‘similar’ Experts countered this, saying not only did the two proteins “have almost nothing in common,” but even if they had something in common, infection with COVID-19 would have the same outcome. And past illnesses with COVID-19 were not associated with a decline in female fertility.

If people want to know about the video about the COVID-19 vaccine and pregnancy, Dr. Danielle Jones, an obstetrician and gynecologist known on TikTok as “Mama Doctor Jones”, shared this video on YouTube debunking the COVID-19 vaccine and pregnancy Rumors of infertility, miscarriage and pregnancy.

Reference:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ruq3o7iZho&ab_channel=MamaDoctorJones
CDC study: COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy protects baby after birth

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