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vaccination

COVID-19 Roundup: CDC Recommends Vaccination in Pregnancy, Vaccine Effectiveness

Vaccination in Pregnancy1

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended vaccination against COVID-19 in pregnant women.

This update follows the recently published results of a preliminary study by CDC scientists evaluating the safety of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines when administered in the third trimester. The researchers utilized data from the CDC V-Safe app, the V-Safe Pregnancy Registry, and the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System to include approximately 35,000 participants who received the COVID-19 vaccine before or during pregnancy. Prior clinical trials did not include pregnant people.

The results of this study indicated there were no safety concerns for pregnant people vaccinated in their third trimester, or their offspring. Side effects of the vaccine were similar in pregnant people to those of nonpregnant adults. 

 

Vaccine Effectiveness2

Vaccination with Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines is associated with a 65% reduction in infections, according to the preliminary results of a recent survey. Following a second dose of the Pfizer vaccine, reduction in infection increased to 70%. There is an insufficient number of adults with 2 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to report on further reduction in infection following a second dose.

A total of 350,000 adults in the United Kingdom self-reported 1.7 million swab tests between December 2020 and April 2021, that were used to measure levels of protection, and antibody response to these vaccines.

Two doses of the Pfizer vaccine offered a similar level of protection to previous COVID-19 infection. Approximately 5% of people had a low immune response to the first dose and should be monitored for their second dose.

In addition, antibody responses to a single dose of both vaccines were lower in individuals aged over 60 years. However, there was some immune response in all groups to both of the vaccines.

 

—Leigh Precopio

 

Reference:

  1. White House COVID-19 Response Team. April 23, 2021. Accessed April 26, 2021. https://twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1RDGlPqeADgGL
  2. Covid-19: infections fell by 65% after first dose of AstraZeneca or Pfizer vaccine, data show. BMJ. 2021;373:n1068. doi: /10.1136/bmj.n1068