Should Pregnant Women Get the Corona Vaccine? A Study Settles the Debate

A recent study found that mothers who received the "Pfizer" or "Moderna" vaccine transmitted high levels of antibodies to their children. Researchers from the Grossman School of Medicine at New York University discovered that 100 percent of 36 newborns tested at birth had protective antibodies after their mothers received COVID-19 vaccines. The researchers noted that the highest levels of antibodies were in the umbilical cord blood of mothers who were fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in the second half of their pregnancies. Dr. Ashley Roman, director of maternal-fetal medicine at New York University, stated, "Studies continue to confirm the importance of vaccines during pregnancy and their ability to provide protection simultaneously by preventing severe illness in both mothers and children." She added, "If newborns can be born with antibodies, this could protect them in the crucial early months of their lives when they are most vulnerable." The research team also managed to differentiate antibodies in newborns' blood formed in response to natural infection from those produced in response to vaccines, according to UPI news agency. The research concluded that "the results we found add to the growing list of important reasons to advise women to receive the COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy for the additional benefit of newborns who require critical protection." The study, published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, also indicated that "future studies will be needed to determine whether vaccination in the second half of pregnancy is better than vaccination at the beginning of pregnancy, as well as how long the infant's protection resulting from the vaccine lasts."