With the rushed nature of the development, research and implementation of the COVID-19 vaccine, a demographic group that has been looking forward to more information about the vaccine’s effectiveness is pregnant and breastfeeding people. Since pregnancy is absolutely a medical condition that leaves a person vulnerable (and full of anxiety) even in the best of circumstances, the nature of a global pandemic and a respiratory illness that can be incredibly dangerous for both mother and baby only makes things worse.
Related story
The launch of the COVID-19 vaccine does not prioritize people with disabilities
New research on the vaccine, however, brings good news for pregnant women and those who love them. A new study, published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology (AJOG) on Thursday, found “robust humoral immunity” in pregnant and breastfeeding women, comparable to what they were seeing in non-pregnant women. Likewise, the study also found evidence of vaccinated pregnant women transmitting antibodies and inducing immunity in newborns. The researchers were also able to gain a little more insight into the differences between immunity after the second doses of Pfizer and Moderna, finding that antibody levels after the second dose of Moderna were higher in pregnant and lactating women than those in Pfizer.
According to the study: “The immune responses induced by the vaccine were significantly greater than the response to natural infection. Immunological transfer to neonates occurred through the placenta and breast milk. This study provides the first data from a large cohort on the generation of maternal antibodies in response to the COVID-19 vaccination, compares the immunity generated by the vaccine with that of natural infection in pregnancy and suggests that vaccination of pregnant and lactating women may confer immunity robust maternal and neonatal care. “
The president-elect of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Dr. Iffath Hoskins, told NBC News that the results of the study’s data were “very reassuring”.
“What this study is showing us is that the mother creates a robust response,” said Hoskins. “Her body wakes up … producing antibodies against the stimulus that just happened, which is the vaccine against the coronavirus.
Galit Alter, senior co-author of the study, said the Harvard Gazette that the study offers “clear evidence that COVID vaccines can induce immunity that will protect babies” and adds that they hope that these results will encourage vaccine developers to prioritize obtaining data on pregnant and lactating women and include them in trials that usually ignore them.
“The potential for a rational vaccine project to generate better results for mothers and babies is limitless, but developers must realize that pregnancy is a distinct immune state, where two lives can be saved simultaneously with a powerful vaccine,” said Alter. “We are looking forward to studying all vaccine platforms during pregnancy as soon as they become available.”
While much remains to be learned about the long-term effects of these vaccines, the more data we have on vulnerable demographics, the better equipped we are to end the pandemic.
Before you go, check out our bed rest essentials for pregnant women:
