At 36 weeks pregnant, a South Florida worker received the first shot of the Modern COVID-19 vaccine. She gave birth to a healthy baby girl three weeks later – with COVID-19 antibodies.
Doctors believe the newborn marks the first known case of a baby born with coronavirus antibodies in the United States, which could provide some protection against the virus.
Dr. Paul Giblert and Dr. Chad Rudnick presented their findings in a prepress study, which means that it has not yet been evaluated by colleagues. They found that the antibodies were detected at birth, after analyzing the baby’s umbilical cord blood taken immediately after birth and before the placenta was born.
“We have shown that SARG-CoV-2 IgG antibodies are detectable in the umbilical cord blood sample of a newborn after only one dose of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine,” they concluded. Thus, there is potential for protection and reduction of the risk of infection with Sars-CoV-2 with maternal vaccination.
Doctors point out, however, that more research is needed check safety and effectiveness from coronavirus vaccines during pregnancy.
It was already known that mothers previously infected with COVID-19 could transmit antibodies to their newborns. In addition, the passage of antibodies from mother to baby through the placenta is well documented in other vaccines, including influenza, so doctors hoped that the same protection of the newborn will be possible after maternal vaccination against COVID-19.
“The COVID vaccine is really starting to align with those vaccines we already use in pregnant women, such as the flu vaccine,” said Dr. Neeta Ogden, an internal medicine specialist and immunologist. said CBSN Wednesday. “We really need it and it is clear that we need significant data on how safe it is for pregnant women.”
These early results can help pregnant women give more reasons consider administering the vaccine.
“This is also hopeful because it provides a level of protection for one of the most vulnerable populations, the newborn,” Ogden said, stressing the need to further study pregnant women during this pandemic.
Because we do not have COVID approved vaccines for the children however, she said, “If we can see this type of safe maternal transmission of antibodies from vaccine to newborns, I think this is really a big step in the right direction.”
Other recent studies, also shared in prepress and which have not yet been evaluated by experts, support the findings.
Massachusetts General Hospital recently studied 131 women – 84 pregnant, 31 breastfeeding and 16 non-pregnant – who received all Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. They found equally strong immune responses in pregnant and lactating women as the control group. In addition, antibodies were present in the placenta and breast milk from each sample taken.
“Maternal vaccine-generated antibodies were detected in the umbilical cord blood of all 10 babies born during our study period,” Dr. Andrea Edlow, a specialist in maternal and fetal medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, told CBS News on Wednesday. . Our data suggest that receiving both photos of the mRNA vaccine leads to improved antibody transfer in newborns.
Another Israeli study found antibodies in all 20 women tested who received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine, both during the third trimester and in newborns, also by placental transfer.
Last month, Pfizer announced that it has begun the first large-scale study of its vaccine on pregnant women, which it expects to complete by early 2023. Its vaccine was approved for emergency use in the United States in December and millions more. people, including thousands of pregnant women, have already taken it.
Moderna, whose vaccine also received emergency use in the United States in December, did not begin pregnancy-focused studies, but created a registry to track pregnant women receiving the vaccine. Johnson & Johnson, which received emergency use authorization for its vaccine last month, said it intends to include pregnant women and their infants in its studies, as well as collect data on pregnant women through a registry.
Pregnant women were excluded from the initial studies of COVID-19 photographs by Moderna and Pfizer, a common practice in such studies.