The mRNA vaccines taken during pregnancy were found effective in protecting from Covid-19 infection and hospitalisation among infants during the first six months of life, a new study found.
According to the findings published in the medical journal BMJ, the maternal Covid-19 vaccination with a second dose during pregnancy was highly effective against delta and moderately effective against omicron infection and hospital admission in infants during the first six months of their lives.
The research based in Canada included infants younger than six months of age who were tested for SARS-CoV-2 between May 7, 2021, and September 5, 2022.
The study, published on February 8, also found that the third vaccine dose bolstered protection against omicron.
“Effectiveness for two doses was highest with maternal vaccination in the third trimester, and effectiveness decreased in infants beyond eight weeks of age,” the report said.
The study included more than 8,800 infants who met the eligibility criteria, including 99 delta cases (4,365 controls) and 1,501 omicron cases (4,847 controls).
Infant vaccine effectiveness from two maternal doses was 95 per cent against delta infection and 97 per cent against infant hospital admission due to delta infection.
The effectiveness against omicron infection stood at 45 per cent and 53 per cent against hospital admission.
“Vaccine effectiveness for three doses was 73 per cent against omicron infection and 80 per cent against hospital admission due to omicron. Vaccine effectiveness for two doses against infant omicron infection was highest with the second dose in the third trimester compared with the first or second trimesters,” the report said.
The study found that the vaccine effectiveness for two doses against infant omicron infection decreased from 57 per cent between birth and eight weeks to 40 per cent after 16 weeks of age.
Read all the Latest India News here
Comments
0 comment