UK study on COVID-19 vaccinations for pregnant women launched

on 17 May 2021

A UK-based study looking into the behaviours of COVID-19 vaccinations in pregnant women has been launched.

The study will build on other research from around the world, such as the trial in the US which saw 100,000 pregnant women vaccinated with either the Pfizer or the Moderna vaccine without any safety concerns.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommends pregnant women receive either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine in the UK.

There is no evidence to suggest that other vaccines are unsafe for pregnant women, but studies are ongoing.

For this research, 235 pregnant women will be given either the Pfizer vaccine or a placebo as part of the study across 11 hospital sites – Newcastle, Leeds, London, Oxford, Gillingham, Edinburgh and Southampton.

Associate Professor in Paediatric Infectious Diseases at the University of Southampton and Chief Investigator of the UK study, Dr Chrissie Jones, said: “While we have a large amount of real-world data which tells us that it’s safe for pregnant women to receive approved COVID-19 vaccines, the data gathered from a controlled research study like this is important because it will give us more information about the vaccine immune response in pregnant women, including the transfer of maternal antibodies to infants.

The women taking part in the study will receive additional monitoring and support from their local research team.

Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at Leeds Teaching Hospital and NIHR Speciality Lead for Reproductive Health, Professor Nigel Simpson, said: “This important study will not only help us understand how best to protect mothers and babies of today, but also how we can prepare to protect those in the future.”

Source: News and Star