Effectiveness of Maternal Vaccination with mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine During Pregnancy Against COVID-19–Associated Hospitalization in Infants Aged <6 Months — 17 States, July 2021–January 2022
COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for persons who are pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to get pregnant now, or who might become pregnant in the future, to protect them from COVID-19.<sup>§</sup> Infants are at risk for life-threatening complications from COVID-19, including acute respiratory failure (1). Evidence from other vaccine-preventable diseases suggests that maternal immunization can provide protection to infants, especially during the high-risk first 6 months of life, through passive transplacental antibody transfer (2). Recent studies of COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy suggest the possibility of transplacental transfer of SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies that might provide protection to infants (3-5); however, no epidemiologic evidence currently exists for the protective benefits of maternal immunization during pregnancy against COVID-19 in infants. The Overcoming COVID-19 network conducted a test-negative, case-control study at 20 pediatric hospitals in 17 states during July 1, 2021-January 17, 2022, to assess effectiveness of maternal completion of a 2-dose primary mRNA COVID-19 vaccination series during pregnancy against COVID-19 hospitalization in infants. Among 379 hospitalized infants aged <6 months (176 with COVID-19 [case-infants] and 203 without COVID-19 [control-infants]), the median age was 2 months, 21% had at least one underlying medical condition, and 22% of case- and control-infants were born premature (<37 weeks gestation). Effectiveness of maternal vaccination during pregnancy against COVID-19 hospitalization in infants aged <6 months was 61% (95% CI = 31%-78%). Completion of a 2-dose mRNA COVID-19 vaccination series during pregnancy might help prevent COVID-19 hospitalization among infants aged <6 months.
Authors
- Satoshi Kamidani (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6829-0700)
- Jennifer E. Schuster
- Janet R. Hume (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8891-6800)
- Emily R. Levy (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8447-7663)
- Margaret M. Newhams (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3738-1172)
- Bria M. Coates (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4264-5440)
- Tamara T. Bradford (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5220-7423)
- Katherine Irby (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8111-3215)
- Ryan A. Nofziger (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7057-2686)
- Charlotte V. Hobbs (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4829-0791)
- Kara N.D. Polen
- Natalie Z. Cvijanovich (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9905-4137)
- Natasha Halasa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6381-1826)
- Kathleen Chiotos (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0204-8708)
- Samina S. Bhumbra (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4036-0479)
- Ashley M. Price
- Melissa L. Cullimore (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9150-9923)
- Julie A. Boom (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5500-117X)
- Aline B. Maddux (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0949-4284)
- Melissa A. Cameron (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3710-0809)
- Overcoming COVID- Investigators
- Mary Allen Staat (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1788-8037)
- Stephanie P. Schwartz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4314-6117)
- Laura Smallcomb (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2372-6790)
- Suzanne M. Gilboa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7092-6667)
- Shira J. Gertz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8119-6006)
- Matt S. Zinter (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3351-3278)
- Tracie C. Walker (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6077-2315)
- Heidi R. Flori (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6047-6970)
- Adrienne G. Randolph (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3084-3071)
- Sabrina M. Heidemann (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4071-0280)
- Elizabeth H. Mack (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6913-6892)
- Pia S. Pannaraj (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5208-0933)
- Michele Kong (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6596-3965)
- Samantha M. Olson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0589-5766)
- Leila C. Sahni (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0833-5695)
- Katherine Bline (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2399-8075)
- Angela P. Campbell (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2576-482X)
- Kelly N. Michelson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9714-9535)
- Manish M. Patel
- Keiko M. Tarquinio
Institutions
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- UNC Libraries
- Published
- 2025-04-17
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.17615/avhw-k923
- Primary Topic
- COVID-19 Impact on Reproduction
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00