Mayo Clinic expert discusses how COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy may help protect babies after Mayo Clinic
Getting vaccinated for COVID-19 during pregnancy might protect not only the pregnant woman, but also the baby after birth. That’s what a recent Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study suggests.
Dr. Myra Wick, a Mayo Clinic OB-GYN, explains why the findings are significant.
Watch: Dr. Myra Wick discusses COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy.
Journalists: Broadcast-quality video is available in the downloads at the end of the post. Please “Courtesy: Mayo Clinic News Network.” Name super/CG: Myra Wick, M.D., Ph.D., Obstetrics and Gynecology.
How do babies gain this protection?
Dr. Wick says one of the best examples of this, prior to COVID, is the tetanus diphtheria and acellular pertussis booster, or Tdap.
“We vaccinate all women who are pregnant with Tdap, regardless of when they were vaccinated previously,” says Dr. Wick. “Mom produces an increased number of antibodies in response to the vaccination. These are transferred to the fetus and provide protection against pertussis (whooping cough).”
Why are these findings significant?
We know that moms who are pregnant and get COVID-19 are at increased risk for needing hospitalization, ICU care, ventilation, even death.
“Vaccinate. We know that there aren’t any adverse effects. There are over 185,000 women enrolled in the V-Safe Program, which is a tracking program through the CDC after COVID vaccination, who have reported that they were pregnant at the time of receiving the COVID vaccine. We also know that there aren’t any issues with fertility.
For the safety of its patients, staff and visitors, Mayo Clinic has strict masking policies in place.
Information in this post was accurate at the time of its posting.