New study shows COVID-19 vaccine offers better protection when given during pregnancy versus before pregnancy

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A new research study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) VISION Network shows COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness was 52% when given during pregnancy, 28% if given less than six months before pregnancy and only 6% if given six months or more before pregnancy.

The study looked at pregnant individuals, 18-45 years old, who received Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech or Janssen COVID-19 vaccines. Vaccination during pregnancy cut the risk of visits to an emergency department or urgent care for COVID-19 symptoms in half.

On WISH-TV Daybreak, we were joined by Dr. Brian Dixon, Director of Public Health Informatics at the Regenstrief Institute and study co-author.

Dr. Dixon stated, “The biggest surprise was that so few women in the sample here in Indiana were vaccinated.”

Approximately 65% of pregnant individuals sampled in Indiana were unvaccinated, compared to 30-45% in the other states including California, Colorado, Minnesota, Oregon, Utah, Wisconsin and Washington.

COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for individuals aged six months and older, regardless of pregnancy status. COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness wanes over time, especially after four to six months.

Per Dr. Dixon, “We’re hoping this spurs doctors to have conversations with women early on in their pregnancy about the safety and effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine and the reason to be vaccinated during pregnancy.”

Currently, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists strongly recommends that pregnant individuals be vaccinated against COVID-19, vaccinated in any trimester and as soon as possible to maximize maternal and fetal health.

Researchers noted that future research should focus on analyzing vaccine effectiveness for vaccination given during different trimesters of pregnancy and vaccine effectiveness estimates by vaccine product.