MONDAY, Oct. 2, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Maternal COVID-19 vaccination provides some protection against COVID-19-related hospitalization among infants, especially those aged younger than 3 months, according to research published in the Sept. 29 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Regina M. Simeone, Ph.D., from the CDC in Atlanta, and colleagues conducted a case-control study to examine the effectiveness of maternal receipt of a COVID-19 vaccine dose during pregnancy against COVID-19-related hospitalization among infants aged younger than 6 months and a subset aged younger than 3 months. Vaccine effectiveness (VE) was compared for case patients (infants hospitalized for COVID-19 with a positive severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 [SARS-CoV-2] test result) and control patients (infants hospitalized for COVID-19-like illness with a negative SARS-CoV-2 result). The odds of receipt of maternal COVID-19 vaccine dose during pregnancy were compared to maternal nonvaccination between case and control patients.

The researchers found that the VE of maternal vaccination during pregnancy was 35 and 54 percent against COVID-19-related hospitalization among infants aged younger than 6 months and younger than 3 months, respectively. Intensive care unit admissions occurred in 23 percent of case patients; invasive mechanical ventilation was more common for infants of unvaccinated versus vaccinated mothers (9 versus 1 percent).

“Expectant mothers should be counseled to remain current with COVID-19 vaccination to protect themselves and their infants from hospitalization and severe outcomes associated with COVID-19,” the authors write.

Several authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.

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