Of 36 newborns tested at birth all had antibodies after their mothers were vaccinated
Pregnant women who get mRNA vaccines pass high levels of antibodies to their babies, according to a study published in American Journal of Obstetrics & gynaecology — Maternal Fetal Medicine on Wednesday.
“We didn’t anticipate that. We expected to see more variability,” said Ashley Roman, an obstetrician at NYU Langone Health System and co-author of the study. “We pushed this data out relatively early because it’s a unique finding and it has important implications for care,” Roman said. “Right now we’re recommending all pregnant women receive the vaccine for maternal benefit.”
Pfizer and BioNTech are studying how their shots affect pregnant women and their babies. The drugmakers “stopped enrolment in the US because of recommendations encouraging vaccination of pregnant women,” Pfizer told Bloomberg, citing concerns that women in the study might get a placebo. The companies said they are looking at sites in countries that do not advise pregnant women to get shots for possible study sites.