A new study by Kaiser Permanente in California has found that getting a covid-19 vaccination while pregnant can significantly reduce an infant's risk of infection two months after birth. The study, published in the journal Pediatrics, looked at data from over 30,000 infants from 20 health centres in northern California. Of the infants, 19,418 had unvaccinated mothers, 9755 had mothers who were vaccinated during pregnancy, and 638 had mothers who were vaccinated after birth.
The study found that the vaccinated infants were significantly less likely to be infected two months after birth compared to unvaccinated infants. This protection was seen even with the potential emergence of newer covid-19 variants, although the study authors cautioned that further studies are needed to understand the effectiveness of vaccination against newer variants.
The study authors concluded that vaccination during pregnancy is an important part of protecting newborns against covid-19. As the authors noted, this is especially important in countries where access to vaccines is limited, as it provides a way of reducing the risk of infection in newborns who may not be able to be vaccinated at an early age.