COVID-19 poses a health risk during pregnancy to everyone involved. Pregnant people are at increased risk of severe illness, andthe chances of adverse effects on mothers and babies, such as prenatal disease, premature birth, and childbirth, increase with infection. However, pregnant people were excluded from the original vaccine trial, so when the vaccine first became available, manysoon-to-be-mothers are confident that they will take them. There was not.
Currently, thousands of pregnant people in the United States are vaccinated. According to abundant data, vaccination during pregnancy is safe and protective for both mothers and babies, andanti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodiesfor babies. According to a study published in June,the chances of being hospitalized for this disease are69% lower at 6 months of age.
Currently, thestudy, published in the journalNature Communicationson June 28, found that taking the COVID-19 vaccine in one of the three semesters of pregnancy. , Shows measurable benefits. There may be ways to optimize protection based on mother and child, and when a shot is given.
Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital analyzed anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in 158 women vaccinated during pregnancy. Most received either Pfizer-BioN Tech or Moderna vaccines, both of which produced a better immune response compared to Johnson&Johnson-Janssen shots. Those who received the mRNA vaccine early or late in pregnancy showed the strongest immune response to the vaccination. The levels of antibody produced during late pregnancy vaccination were slightly weaker. This may be because the immune system of pregnant people is more active between the first and third trimesters and thus may produce a greater response to the vaccine, says Maternal Fetal Andrea. Dr. Edrow is a medical expert and medical scientist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical College who co-authored the study.
Researchers also tested antibody levels in the umbilical cord of women at birth. This is a measure of how well a mother can transfer protection to her fetus. They found that the transfer of antibodies from the mother to the baby was most efficient during early and late pregnancy. This suggests that babies whose mothers are vaccinated early in pregnancy will receive the COVID-19 antibody from the vaccine immediately. However, the absolute number of antibodies transferred was highest when the mother was vaccinated late or late in pregnancy. This means that babies vaccinated with mothers in late pregnancy were provided with more protection, probably because their mother's COVID-19 immunity declined over time. .. Overall, this evidence points to the 3rd trimester as the best time to get theCOVID-19 booster. (The Third Trimester is also when the CDC recommends pregnant people to take the Tdap vaccine for hoop cough to give their babies the highest level of postnatal protection.)
Edrow, unvamped women were vaccinated as soon as possible This study shows how to maximize the benefits of both mothers and fetuses. "If I'm an unvamped pregnant person, I'll definitely be vaccinated in the first semester, but I'll probably take advantage of that opportunity to be boosted in the third semester. Probably, "says Edrow. (However, she emphasizes that vaccination as soon as possible is prioritized during any semester during the pandemic.)
Scientists can use detailed methods So, the research was kept small. To analyze the quality of antibody production, but its size means that it cannot give a complete picture of how the vaccine works in pregnant women, says Edrow. But now that scientists have accumulated a wealth of data showing that vaccination is safe and effective for pregnant people, such studies show how scientists can use COVID-19 antibodies and immunity during pregnancy. Helps to fine-tune your understanding of how it works. In the long run, this study may serve future recommendations for COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy.
"At this point, I can say with confidence to pregnant people. It is safe to vacate during pregnancy. There is no increased risk of abortion and birth defects. "I don't know," says Edro. "It protects the mother from serious illness and death, and also from the complications of pregnancy."
The results of this study were not included in the study and were already fully vaccinated and added. It does not apply directly to immunized pregnant people. The CDC currently does not recommend a second booster shot for most pregnant people unless their immunity is weakened. However, Edrow said he believes the guidance will change over time as regular boosts for COVID-19 are expected to become more routine.
Vaccination rates for pregnant people have increased over time since the shots were first made available, as more data showing their effects have been published. As the graph below shows, the vaccine gap between pregnant and non-pregnant people closed last year. However, women who are pregnant or are about to become pregnant are less likely to receive booster shots than other women.
If you choose to be boostedduring pregnancy,says Edrow. These women may have the opportunity to further protect themselves and their babies during the first month of life. (Further research is needed to be sure. The survey does not include those who received booster shots.) CDC gets booster shots when pregnant people are eligible. It is recommended toto do. After 20 weeks of gestation, you can maximize your baby's protection.
However, because Edlow's mother's health is a top priority during pregnancy, mothers are also at individual risk of serious illness when deciding whether to get boosters early. He added that it needs to be weighed. “The important message for pregnant people is that she is doing the best she can to protect her baby by protecting herself,” she says.
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