As new coronavirus vaccines are introduced for the fall season, CDC officials are encouraging everyone 6 months and older to get vaccinated. However, concerns persist among the public about whether pregnant women should receive the vaccine and how it may affect the fetus.
The Emerging Infectious Diseases Program at the Yale School of Public Health recently participated in a CDC study highlighting the importance of COVID-19 vaccination to protect pregnant women and newborns. CT EIP is part of the CDC’s National Coronavirus Surveillance Team, which represents approximately 10% of the country. The program contributed Connecticut data to the study, which was collected by Yale CT EIP program manager Kimberly Eugee Hindes, MPH.
Dr. Linda Nicolai, a professor at the Yale School of Public Health, studies vaccine-preventable diseases and is director of the CT EIP. Nicolai recently took some time to discuss CDC findings and the importance of COVID-19 vaccinations for pregnant and breastfeeding women to protect newborns and reduce hospitalization rates.
What were the key findings of the CDC study?
Linda Nicolai (LN): The study looked at 1,148 infants hospitalized with COVID-19 from October 2022 to April 2024. Infants under six months of age have one of the highest rates of hospitalization for COVID-19 compared to other age groups. Infants infected with the new coronavirus often become seriously ill, with about one in five hospitalized in intensive care and nearly one in 20 requiring a ventilator. Infants under 6 months of age are not eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, but they may be protected if their mothers are vaccinated during pregnancy. The proportion of infants hospitalized with COVID-19 whose mothers were vaccinated during pregnancy increased from 18% from October 2022 to September 2023 to from October 2023 to April 2024. decreased to less than 5%. Nine infants died in the hospital. All were born to mothers with no record of vaccination during pregnancy.
How has the Connecticut Emerging Infectious Diseases Program (CT EIP) contributed to your research?
LN: YSPH’s CT EIP is one of 12 states conducting population-based surveillance for COVID-19 hospitalizations. These data contributed to the current study. Our team collected data on infant hospitalizations from electronic medical records and ascertained the vaccination status of each infant’s biological mother. CT EIP is a CDC-funded partnership with the Connecticut Department of Public Health.
What can health care providers and others do to encourage pregnant people to get vaccinated?
LN: Maternal vaccination during pregnancy has been shown to be safe and effective in protecting young infants from hospitalization due to COVID-19, and CDC recommends vaccination of mothers aged 6 months and older, including during pregnancy. COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for everyone. Pregnant women who receive the COVID-19 vaccine may pass protective antibodies to their babies through transplacental transfer. With low rates of maternal COVID-19 vaccination and high rates of severe illness among infants, public health prevention efforts are aimed at ensuring pregnant women receive COVID-19 vaccinations to protect themselves and their vulnerable infants. Emphasis should be placed on increasing access to vaccination against viral infections. Healthcare providers should be prepared to discuss the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines with pregnant patients and the risks to themselves and their infants if they do not get vaccinated. We also need to talk about.
CT Emerging Infectious Diseases Program
