A recent study suggests that receiving a COVID-19 booster shot during pregnancy not only shields newborns against COVID but also substantially reduces the risk of pneumonia, sepsis, and early mortality in infants.
The research revealed that the vaccine lowered the probability of “severe health outcomes” within the initial 28 days of a baby’s life by 12 percent. These severe outcomes encompassed respiratory failure, seizures, and the necessity for a blood transfusion. Furthermore, the vaccine nearly halved the risk of neonatal mortality during this critical period.
Pregnant women are eligible for booster jabs as part of the NHS autumn COVID vaccination program. Still, healthcare providers are being urged to actively encourage expectant mothers to receive the booster, as reports suggest a low uptake of the vaccine in this demographic.
Between September 2022, when the autumn booster was first offered, and June 2023, only 2.2 percent of pregnant individuals under the age of 20 received a booster during pregnancy. The uptake increased with age, with 20 percent of expectant mothers aged over 35 receiving the vaccination during the same period, the most recent data available from the government.
An additional analysis, comprised of data from 375 studies published in the British Medical Journal, found that “COVID vaccine acceptance among pregnant women was low across the studies.”
The study revealed that receiving a booster during pregnancy reduced the likelihood of a newborn experiencing severe illness early in life, with a decline in risk from 8.3 percent to 7.3 percent—a more than 10 percent reduction. The research, which involved over 142,000 infants in Ontario, Canada, also indicated a reduction in the risk of neonates requiring admission to an intensive care unit, from 13.1 percent to 11.4 percent, as well as a decrease in the risk of neonatal mortality from 0.09 percent to 0.16 percent.
The study highlighted that pregnant women were less likely to get vaccinated than non-pregnant women of reproductive age, especially among younger women and those residing in areas with higher socioeconomic deprivation, largely due to concerns about vaccine safety for infants.
However, the researchers emphasized that the vaccine is not only safe for infants but also offers substantial benefits to both the mother and the child, even though the precise mechanisms behind these advantages remain unclear.
Sarah Jorgensen, a pharmacist and PhD student at the University of Toronto, stated, “COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy was not associated with adverse newborn outcomes and instead was associated with lower risks of severe health outcomes, neonatal death, and intensive care.” She explained that severe COVID-19 during pregnancy could lead to complications and harm for both the fetus and newborn. Thus, vaccinating pregnant mothers against COVID protects their infants from potential adverse outcomes resulting from maternal COVID infection during pregnancy.
Nevertheless, when infants born to mothers who had COVID during pregnancy were excluded from the study, the results remained largely unchanged, suggesting that other factors were also contributing to the improved outcomes.
Ms. Jorgensen noted that mothers who received the vaccine during pregnancy tended to have higher income and education levels, factors typically associated with better overall infant health. However, she acknowledged that there might be some residual confounding, despite using statistical methods to balance the characteristics of vaccinated and unvaccinated mothers.
Professor Lawrence Young, a virologist at Warwick University, who was not involved in the study, remarked, “This study provides further reassurance on the safety of COVID vaccination during all stages of pregnancy by showing no adverse effects for newborns and infants.”
Viki Male, from Imperial College London, added, “This study adds to the reassuring data we have about the safety of COVID vaccination during pregnancy.” She also pointed out that families receiving the vaccine are likely to have better access to healthcare, which might partially account for the improved outcomes in infants. Nevertheless, the study employed various approaches to address access to healthcare, indicating that some of the benefits are a genuine effect of vaccination during pregnancy.
The researchers acknowledged that the study was “observational,” establishing an association between vaccination and improved infant health, rather than proving causation. However, given the large number of participants and the statistical control for various variables, including socioeconomic status, this association carries significant weight.
