The landscape of COVID-19 vaccination among women of reproductive age and those who are pregnant is described this week in studies published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The results indicate that infants whose mothers received the vaccination during pregnancy have better outcomes.
For over two years, healthcare professionals have strongly advised maternal mRNA vaccinations against COVID-19. Recent data from the Omicron surge indicates that these vaccinations were successful in reducing hospital admissions for infants six months of age or younger.
Babies six months of age and up can currently receive vaccinations.
VE of 54% for babies under 3 months
The vaccine effectiveness (VE) of mothers receiving a COVID-19 vaccination dose during pregnancy for infants under 6 months of age and a group of infants under 3 months of age was assessed in a case-control study carried out from March 9, 2022, to May 31, 2023. The final study included 716 hospitalized infants, with a median age of 2.3 months (377 case-patients and 339 control patients).
In contrast to the 94 (28%) born to mothers of control patients, 82 (22%) of the 377 case-patients were born to mothers who had received a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine during their pregnancies. Out of the 50 babies in the study, 42 had mothers who were not vaccinated, and 50 of the babies needed life support.
Among infants younger than six months old, the VE of maternal vaccination during pregnancy against hospitalization due to COVID-19 was 35% (95% confidence interval [CI], 15% to 51%), and among infants younger than three months old, 54% (95% CI, 2% to 68%).
The authors reported that infants of unvaccinated mothers (9%) had invasive mechanical ventilation at a higher rate than infants of vaccinated mothers (1%).
“These results suggest that immunization of the mother during pregnancy may help prevent hospitalization due to COVID-19 in infants who are too young to receive vaccinations, especially in the first three months of life,” the authors wrote. “To prevent hospitalization and other serious consequences linked to COVID-19, expectant mothers should be advised to stay up to date on their COVID-19 vaccinations.”
Only 54.7% of HCPs offered vaccines to women
Another study that was published in MMWR examined the types of healthcare providers (HCPs) who recommended and administered the COVID-19 vaccine to women who were of reproductive age based on responses to the fall 2022 DocStyles survey.
Despite the fact that 83% of respondents stated they would advise women to get the vaccine if they were of reproductive age, only 54.7% of practitioners actually gave the shot.
There is a strong correlation between vaccination coverage and patient acceptance of the vaccine, according to provider recommendations.
Compared to family doctors or internists (82.1%), obstetrician-gynecologists (94.2%) were more likely to advise pregnant patients to receive the COVID-19 vaccination (adjusted prevalence ratio, 1.1).
The authors came to the conclusion that “provider recommendation for vaccination is strongly associated with patient acceptance of vaccine and with vaccination coverage.” In addition to influenza or tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis (Tdap) vaccines, encouraging health care professionals to recommend, offer, and administer COVID-19 vaccinations may help boost vaccination rates among women of reproductive age, including expectant mothers.
In the 2022–2023 influenza season, 47.2% of women received an influenza vaccination before or during their pregnancy, 55.4% of women who had recently given birth received a Tdap vaccination during their pregnancy, and 27.3% of women received a COVID-19 bivalent (two-strain) booster vaccination before or during their pregnancy, according to a recent study published in MMWR.
The survey responses of 1,814 pregnant women who were pregnant at any point between October 2022 and January 2023 served as the basis for that study.
Compared to the 2019–2020 flu season, pregnant women received 10 percentage points fewer influenza vaccines in the 2022–2023 flu season.
The authors came to the conclusion that “maternal vaccination coverage remains suboptimal.” “Improving vaccination coverage, reducing persistent disparities in vaccination coverage, and combating increases in vaccine hesitancy observed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic all depend on health care providers making vaccination recommendations that are culturally appropriate.”
