Health
Pfizer, Moderna Covid vaccines are not linked to baby defects after first trimester shot, research shows
Topline
There is no evidence of serious birth defects in babies born to mothers vaccinated against COVID-19 during the first trimester of pregnancy, according to new research published Monday in JAMA Pediatrics that underlines the safety of vaccination during pregnancy, amid of mounting evidence of serious health problems. risks that can cause infections for mothers and babies.
The study adds to data supporting the safety and effectiveness of Covid vaccines in pregnancy.
Key facts
Exposure to Pfizer and Moderna’s mRNA Covid vaccines during the first trimester of pregnancy was “not associated with an increased risk” of serious birth defects, including problems with the eyes, ears, neural tube, kidneys, respiratory system and musculoskeletal system, according to a team of researchers from across the US
The findings come from an analysis of healthcare data on more than 42,000 pregnancies associated with live births between early March 2021 and the end of January 2022 and recorded in the Vaccine Safety Datalink database from eight healthcare systems in California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Minnesota , and Wisconsin.
Nearly a fifth of pregnant people, around 7,600, received a dose of an mRNA Covid vaccine during the first trimester – one of the most vulnerable periods of pregnancy due to harmful exposure and birth defects – the researchers said, with 19,000 not receiving a vaccine before or during pregnancy and 13,500 receiving a dose in their second or third trimester, but not in their first.
The dose was the second vaccine for about 1,350 of the pregnant people vaccinated in their first trimester, the researchers said, with about 46% of the group receiving their second dose during the second or third trimester and 20% receiving a third booster. to get. dose.
The researchers said their findings indicate no increased risk of major structural birth defects after vaccination in the first trimester, adding that this is in line with the handful of other studies from Scotland and Israel to investigate the association between maternal vaccination and birth defects in comprehensively assess infants.
The findings, which apply only to the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, “should provide reassurance to pregnant people and their obstetric care providers,” the researchers said.
Important background
Researchers and officials are obviously very cautious about giving newly approved health care products to pregnant people because of the risks to the parent and child. This is especially true early in pregnancy, when the risks of exposure to potential hazards are greater and for newer technology, such as mRNA vaccines, which have been less widely studied in the population compared to more established products, and drug makers routinely exclude pregnant people of trials due to safety concerns. This warning was evident during the early stages of the vaccine rollout during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the vaccinations were new and less was known about the virus and the risks it posed to pregnant people and babies. There was little to no data on vaccination in pregnant people at the time and neither experts nor leading health agencies around the world, including the World Health Organization, were. divided on how to proceed, sometimes discouraging and sometimes encouraging pregnant people from getting vaccinated. Experts and top health authorities are now widely encouraging pregnant people to get vaccinated without delay and mounting evidence highlights the serious health risks to mother and baby from Covid infections, including breathing problems, premature birth, stillbirth and neurological and developmental problems. Research also shows that vaccination of mothers is possible to protect the baby in the first six months of life after birth.
Tangent
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends vaccination at any time during pregnancy and says studies from around the world involving hundreds of thousands of people show that vaccination both before and during pregnancy is safe and effective and is beneficial for “both the pregnant person and the baby.” mRNA vaccines reduce the risk of severe illness and other health effects from COVID-19 during pregnancy, the CDC said, and also help build protective antibodies that can protect the baby. The agency emphasizes that “the benefits of receiving a COVID-19 vaccine outweigh the potential risks of vaccination during pregnancy.”
What we don’t know
Data on side effects, especially rare ones, can take some time and are difficult to record in relatively small samples, such as in pregnant people. The researchers said their findings only took into account single births, as well as pregnancies ending in live birth, which would obviously rule out any defects that would result in stillbirth or a similar outcome, as this data was not recorded in the available database. It may take time for some other problems to emerge, the researchers acknowledged, and although they could only evaluate defects up to four months after birth, they said this time frame has proven solid predictive value in the past.
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