A new study shows that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are safe and effective in pregnant and lactating women, and those women are able to pass protective antibodies to their newborns, ABC News reports.
Researchers studied a group of 131 reproductive-age women who received either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. The group included pregnant, lactating, and non-pregnant women, and researchers found that antibody levels were similar in all three groups.
The study also found no significant difference in side effects between pregnant and non-pregnant study participants. Pregnant women who had received the vaccine had "strikingly higher" antibody levels compared to pregnant women who had recovered from COVID-19, the report states.
The study was the largest study of a group that was left out of initial vaccine trials, but it was small and participants were mostly white health care workers from a single city. Though leaving pregnant women out of studies is common because of safety concerns, it left many pregnant women confused about whether it was safe to get vaccinated, ABC reports.
Researchers hope the study and other examples encourage pharmaceutical companies to offer pregnant women the opportunity to participate in future studies, even beyond COVID-19.
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