Babies born to mothers who took the Covid-19 vaccine during their pregnancy are likely to have some form of immunity against the virus, according to the latest research from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), published on Tuesday.
Researchers analyzed data from 379 hospitalized infants – 176 suffered from Covid-19 and 203 were admitted for other reasons. The children were all under six months old between July 2021 and January 2022.
Their study found that hospitalization risks were reduced by 61% in children whose mothers were vaccinated during pregnancy.
Protection increased to 80% when the mothers got their jabs later in their pregnancy (21 weeks to 14 days before delivery). The effectiveness of the vaccinations dropped as low as 32% for babies whose mother was inoculated earlier during pregnancy.
The authors cautioned people not to read too much into the study, given the small sample size used.
“Right now we want to ensure that we are protecting both the mom and the infant,” CDC's Dana Meaney-Delman told reporters. “So, as soon as a pregnant woman is willing to be vaccinated, she should go ahead and do so.”
The CDC says that pregnant women are at greater risk of developing complications due to Covid-19, including risks to their own health, as well as preterm births and stillbirths. It is recommended that anyone expecting a baby or trying to get pregnant should keep up to date with their Covid shots.