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Stiko recommends vaccination against the coronavirus from the second trimester of pregnancy
Photo: aire images / Getty Images
Pregnancy is a particularly sensitive time for women and couples that can be fraught with worries. Many women also have concerns about immunization against the coronavirus and wonder how safe it is for them and their child to be vaccinated during pregnancy. A new study among thousands of women now indicates that vaccination during pregnancy is not associated with an increased risk of premature births or newborns with low birth weights.
For their study, which was published in the Morbity and Mortality Weekly Report, American scientists retrospectively evaluated the data of around 46,000 women who were pregnant and gave birth to their child alive.
Around 10,000 of them were vaccinated against the coronavirus during pregnancy between December 15, 2020 and July 22, 2021.
Almost all of them received an mRNA vaccine
Almost all expectant mothers received the mRNA vaccines from Biontech / Pfizer or Moderna, only 424 women received the vaccine from Johnson & Johnson.
Around 82 percent were vaccinated twice during pregnancy.
The majority of pregnant women received the vaccination in the second or third trimester of pregnancy.
The researchers report that around 6.6 percent of around 46,000 women had a premature baby.
Among the vaccinated, the proportion was 4.9 percent, lower than that of the unvaccinated women, at 7.0 percent.
A baby is considered premature if it is born before the 37th week of pregnancy.
There was no difference in the proportion of children who were born with a birth weight that was too low for their age.
It was 8.2 percent in both groups.
more on the subject
Benefits and Risks: What You Should Know About Corona Vaccinations For Pregnant WomenBy Irene Berres
New study: Pregnant women transfer corona protection to their babyBy Marthe Ruddat and Irene Berres
Coronavirus: Why women don't have to be afraid of infertility after vaccinationBy Heike Le Ker
The investigation is a so-called observational study; such analyzes do not prove causal relationships.
In addition, only a few pregnancies in which the women received a vaccination in the first trimester of pregnancy were analyzed, as the researchers themselves write in the article.
Likewise, factors such as previous infections with the coronavirus or premature births in the women's history were not taken into account.
Nevertheless, the current analysis supports the results of other studies that show the safety of Covid 19 vaccines for pregnant women, as the scientists write.
Experts now agree that the benefits of vaccination for pregnant women outweigh the risks.
Increased risk of complications
The German Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko) has been campaigning since September of last year to vaccinate all expectant mothers from the second trimester of pregnancy against the coronavirus with the drug from Biontech / Pfizer (read here what you should know about corona vaccinations for pregnant women).
Data suggest that even mild corona infections increase the risk of complications during pregnancy, such as premature birth or preeclampsia, better known to many as pregnancy poisoning.
On the basis of this data, the German specialist societies had already spoken in May in favor of vaccinating pregnant women against Covid after a consultation, if this corresponds to their wishes.
However, experts rate the absolute risk of a severe Covid 19 course in pregnant women as low,
although it is higher than other women of the same age.
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