It is safe for the pregnant women to take the Covid-19 vaccine during pregnancy, suggests a new study reported in JAMA Pediatrics.¹

Researchers from the US and Japan examined the safety and efficacy of Covid-19 vaccination during pregnancy in a systematic review and meta-analysis of nine observational studies, which included 81,349 pregnant women who had taken at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine and 255,346 unvaccinated pregnant women. The mean ages of the participants in both groups ranged from 29 years up to 35 years. Neonatal outcomes were the primary endpoints of the study, while maternal outcomes were considered as the secondary endpoints of the study.

Women who took the vaccine during pregnancy reduced their risk of developing Covid-19 with an odds ratio of 0.46. Newborns of vaccinated women were also less likely to be admitted to NICU (OR 0.88). The risk of intrauterine fetal death was also lower in this group (OR 0.73).

COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy was not associated with increased risks of adverse neonatal outcomes such as preterm birth (OR, 0.89), small for gestational age (OR 0.99) low Apgar score (OR 0.94). Similarly, maternal adverse outcomes such as increased risk of cesarean delivery (OR, 1.05), postpartum hemorrhage (OR, 0.95) and chorioamnionitis (OR, 0.95) were also lower in these women.

By demonstrating that Covid-19 vaccination during pregnancy was not associated with increased risks of adverse neonatal and maternal outcomes, this meta-analysis has shown that it is safe for pregnant women to take the vaccine. Hence, pregnant women should be encouraged to take the Covid-19 vaccine to protect themselves from SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Reference

1. Atsuyuki Watanabe, et al. Peripartum outcomes associated with COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Pediatr. 2022 Oct 3. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2022.3456.