Pregnant & Jabbed, oops.

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Report: Pregnant, vaccinated people more vulnerable to COVID

 

 

Maiysha Kai

Wed, April 13, 2022, 1:01 PM

 

 

A new study finds breakthrough COVID cases more likely to occur in pregnant people who have been vaccinated against the coronavirus.

As we hit the midpoint in Black Maternal Health Week, there are new findings on the spread of COVID that might deeply affect how pregnant people safeguard themselves against the virus. As reported last week by the Washington Post, a new study conducted by Epic Research found that even when vaccinated, they are nearly twice as susceptible to contracting COVID as non-pregnant people.

 

Photo: Getty Images

Pregnancy has long been on the CDC’s list of comorbidities—that is, medical conditions that potentially cause more vulnerability to the virus. But the medical records of 13.8 million U.S. patients indicated those who are pregnant and vaccinated are actually at greater risk of contracting COVID than individuals with cancer or organ transplants. Worse, they are also at greater risk of becoming seriously ill or dying as a result of the coronavirus.

Originally, those increased risks were believed to bolster the argument for vaccinations—and it should be noted that vaccines and boosters are still the best general prevention against the virus to date. But since COVID has also been linked to serious complications in pregnancy—including not only deaths but premature births and stillbirths—the findings could inform how pregnant people are vaccinated and treated, as well as what precautions can individually be taken to protect themselves.

 

That said, the new findings aren’t discouraging vaccinations for those who are pregnant, simply encouraging awareness that “if you are fully vaccinated and become pregnant, you remain at higher risk of acquiring COVID,” as Dr. David R. Little, a researcher at Epic Research and a lead author of the study, told the Post.

Georges C. Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, commended the study but also told the outlet: “People shouldn’t panic. You are not getting sick because of the vaccine. It argues that you probably need a little more of the vaccine.”

The results also further encourages continuation of longstanding precautions such as social distancing and mask-wearing, as well as early testing and treatment, when detected. While it might be argued the study’s findings are due to increased testing during prenatal care, it should also be noted that pregnant women of color have previously been found to contract COVID at a higher rate than their white counterparts, making this pertinent information when deciding how to safeguard their pregnancies.

“To me, the most important question the new study raises is, is there an increased rate of severe illness and death in pregnant patients after a certain period [post-vaccination],” Brenna L. Hughes, vice chair for obstetrics and quality at the Duke University School of Medicine Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, told the Washington Post.

As a second round of boosters now roll out, the findings could be crucial in determining future intervals of those vaccinations. Notably, the recent recommendations that people 50 and over and the severely immunocompromised receive additional shots didn’t spotlight pregnancy as one of those factors. The study’s findings that pregnancy renders individuals more vulnerable than even cancer could change those recommendations moving forward; in fact, there were some very surprising findings, in that respect.

As for the specific implications and necessary precautions for pregnant individuals, there is clearly more research needed. “It’s definitely interesting,” said Denise Jamieson, chair of gynecology and obstetrics at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta and a prenatal specialist in infectious diseases. “This study asks this question but doesn’t

[Plissken]

Pregnant is definitely an oops in my book.