Thread by @DrEricDing

💡ANTIBODIES FOR NEWBORNS—Pfizer & Moderna #COVID19 vaccines are effective in pregnant and lactating women, who can pass protective antibodies to newborns.

Huge—The antibody levels were "strikingly higher" than from natural infection during pregnancy.🧵
amp.cnn.com/cnn/2021/03/25…

2) Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women's Hospital and the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard looked at 131 women who received either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. Among the participants, 84 were pregnant, 31 were lactating & 16 were not pregnant

3) The vaccine-induced antibody levels were equivalent in pregnant and lactating women, compared to non-pregnant women. The antibody levels were "strikingly higher" than those resulting from coronavirus infection during pregnancy, the team noted.

4) “These vaccines seem to work incredibly effectively in these women," said one of the researchers.

In addition, the team found that women passed protective antibodies to their newborns, measured in breast milk and the placenta.

5) “"Nearly all the moms were getting a pretty decent level of antibodies to their babies," said Alter, who added that additional research is needed to understand how long those protective antibodies last in newborns.”

6) “While the team found similar antibody levels in women vaccinated with both vaccines—they found higher levels of IgA antibodies in pregnant women who received the Moderna vaccine—this type of antibody may be transferred more efficiently to babies, for a longer period of time.”

7) “There is some reason to think that having higher levels of IgA immunity might be more protective," Alter noted. She said additional research into this finding could help inform policy decisions about which vaccines are used for pregnant populations.”

8) “"MGH and Brigham started to talk to the health care workers that were eligible for vaccination, that were also pregnant, and they created a study to empower pregnant women with the ability to track their responses...

9) “but to also develop data that could essentially help the entire globe approach vaccination and pregnancy for the first time.

"It was really just a force to be reckoned with, both from the OB-GYN/provider perspective, but also from the community. It was inspiring."

10) there is a very strong relationship between mother and infant #SARSCoV2 antibodies. This is great news—especially that pregnant mothers and their infants can benefit from vaccine-induced antibodies.

https://twitter.com/drericding/status/1356063288006684672