An international study has shown that pregnant women are at higher risk of complications when infected with the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 and that vaccination, especially with booster doses, is highly effective in providing protection.
The INTERCOVID 2022 project, coordinated from the University of Oxford (UK) and published in the scientific journal The Lancet, took place in 41 hospitals in 18 countries and aimed to assess the impact of the Omicron variant of the virus that covid-19 causes. during the pregnancy. .
The results reinforce what has been known since April 2021, when it was confirmed that the risk of complications increased in pregnant women infected with SARS-CoV-2, although it also provides evidence with data from being infected with Ómicron and about the effectiveness of vaccination against this variant, according to the Spanish news agency EFE.
The researchers studied 1,545 pregnant women diagnosed with covid and 3,073 without the infection, between November 2021 and June 2022, when Omicron prevailed.
The results showed that the Ómicron variant was associated with an increase in complications and hospitalizations during pregnancy, either because of covid symptoms, such as breathing difficulties, or because of effects on pregnancy.
Severe symptoms have been reported in between 4% and 7% of unvaccinated women diagnosed with the Omicron variant, which are more severe in obese or overweight women.
In women with severe symptoms, the risk of preterm birth and preeclampsia increased.This is high blood pressure during pregnancy that can cause serious problems for both the mother and the baby.
The researchers also noted that vaccination provided high protection against severe symptoms of Covid-19 and against complications during pregnancy.
In case of primary vaccination (two doses), efficacy was 74% and reached 91% where women had received a booster dose.
This study thus supports the recommendation of booster dose vaccination for all pregnant women, which is indicated at any time during pregnancy, as long as 10 months have passed since the last injection, said Nerea Maiz, specialist in the obstetric service of the Vall d’ Hebron Hospital in Barcelona, which participated in the study.
As for the side effects of vaccination, they have not been observed in the mother, fetus or newborn, even in cases where the vaccine was taken during pregnancy.
Source: DN
