Pregnant women and people who did not get vaccinated for COVID-19 during their pregnancies were at risk of a range of concerning health challenges related to the virus, according to a recently released observational study published in The Lancet. Researchers found that unvaccinated pregnant people who were symptomatically infected with COVID-19 within six months of the growth of the omicron variant had an increased risk of maternal morbidity and severe complications. Among pregnant people who had severe symptoms, there was also an increased risk of preeclampsia.
The study points to the ongoing importance of ensuring that pregnant women and people have access to the most up-to-date COVID-19 vaccines. Ensuring this access will be particularly important as the continuous Medicaid and Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+) coverage that has been in place since the start of the pandemic unwinds and the government supply of COVID-19 vaccines runs out. We will need to work together to help pregnant women and people get covered early in their pregnancies and ensure seamless access to COVID-19 vaccines throughout pregnancy.
This data, collected from 41 hospitals across 18 countries, highlights the importance of vaccination – especially for pregnant women and people. All vaccines and boosters were found to be effective in preventing ICU admission, severe maternal morbidity, or death among pregnant women.Unfortunately, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that just 19% of pregnant people have an updated booster.
While the study showed that vaccination does not prevent COVID-19 infection during pregnancy, it reduced severe maternal outcomes within 10 months of an individual’s last dose. Especially as Kraken, the latest omicron subvariant, begins to appear as a dominant strain of the virus, vaccination remains critical. Kraken currently accounts for 7% of cases in Colorado. However, this variant could soon become more prevalent as it has in the Northeast, where it accounts for 75% of cases. While no vaccine specific to this subvariant exists, data show that bivalent omicron boosters do offer significant protection against omicron and its subvariants.
As Coloradans consider their plans for COVID vaccination, this report provides more evidence of the vaccines’ ability to prevent serious health problems related to COVID. Having more people vaccinated will prevent adverse pregnancy outcomes and the potential development of more deadly variants that could impact us all.
To find a COVID-19 vaccine or booster, search vaccines.gov, text your ZIP code to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233 to find locations near you. Or, look through Colorado’s COVID-19 vaccination resources. Finally, De Ti Depende has many resources and communication delivered in Spanish.
