COVID vaccines and first boosters provided significant protection to pregnant women against severe complications and death, even after the arrival of the new Omicron variant, according to a study published in The Lancet medical journal.
The study was conducted between Nov. 27, 2021, and June 30, 2022, during which time the highly transmissible Omicron strain began to rapidly spread around the world. The study did not include the impact of vaccines and the second booster or the bivalent booster on later mutations of COVID-19.
Vaccinated women were well-protected against severe COVID-19 symptoms and complications and had a very low risk of admission to an intensive care unit, the study found. Full vaccination with a booster conferred the greatest protection, the researchers noted.
In addition, researchers found no increased risk of vaccine side effects in mothers, fetuses or newborns and a decreased risk of preterm birth among vaccinated women.
