New study confirms that vaccination during pregnancy is safe and necessary – NiT

COVID-19: A new study confirms that vaccination during pregnancy is safe and necessary

Pregnant women are more likely to have complications when infected. Booster shots are very effective in protection.

Pregnant women should be vaccinated against the disease.

It was already known that pregnant women are at increased risk of complications when infected with the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2. new study A report published in the scientific journal The Lancet has now confirmed this conclusion and added that vaccination, especially with booster doses, is highly effective in protection.

“While pregnant women infected with Covid-19 are generally thought to be at similar risk to the general population, the available data are limited and cannot answer basic questions about the effects of the disease on pregnancy.” This was the premise that led to the creation of the INTERCOVID 2022 project.

The investigation, coordinated by the University of Oxford (UK), aims to assess the impact of the virus that causes Covid-19 during pregnancy. It was performed in 41 hospitals in 18 countries, between November 2021 and June 2022, when Micron dominated. In all, 1,545 pregnant women have been diagnosed with the virus and 3,073 uninfected women.

The results showed that during pregnancy, the variant was associated with increased complications and hospital admissions. Either because of the symptoms of infection (such as breathing difficulties) or because of its effects on the pregnancy.

Between four and seven percent of unvaccinated women experienced severe symptoms. The consequences were more severe in obese or overweight pregnant women. In these cases, there was a higher risk of preterm labor and preeclampsia, that is, high blood pressure during pregnancy – which can cause serious problems for both the pregnant woman and the baby.

Thus the notes reinforced what was already there you knew Since April 2021, when it was confirmed that there is an increased risk of complications in pregnant women with SARS-CoV-2. However, they also provide evidence with data from people with Omicron and about the effectiveness of vaccination against this variant.

Researchers have found that vaccination provides high protection against severe symptoms of Covid-19 and against complications during pregnancy. Throughout the study, there was an efficacy of 74% in cases with baseline intake (2 doses). The percentage increased to 91 percent after receiving the booster dose.

Since there are no side effects of the vaccine during pregnancy in the mother, in the fetus or in the newborn, Neria Miz – specialist in the obstetric service of the Hospital de Val d’Ebron in Barcelona, ​​who participated in the study – therefore recommends vaccination with booster doses for all pregnant women. She also adds that this intake is indicated for any time during pregnancy, as long as 10 months have passed since your last injection.