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COVID-19 Vaccination During Pregnancy Offers New Insight into Preeclampsia Prevention

A new multinational study from the INTERCOVID Consortium, led by researchers from the University of Oxford, has found that COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy, particularly when combined with a booster dose, significantly reduces the risk of preeclampsia, a serious and potentially life-threatening pregnancy complication. The findings offer unprecedented insight into preeclampsia prevention, independent of the direct effects of COVID-19 infection.

The study, published in eClinicalMedicine, titled “COVID-19 Vaccination Status During Pregnancy and Preeclampsia Risk: The Pandemic-Era Cohort of the INTERCOVID Consortium”, analysed data from 6,527 pregnant women across 18 countries enrolled between 2020 and 2022. Researchers compared vaccinated and unvaccinated women, with and without SARS-CoV-2 infection, to assess how vaccination status influenced preeclampsia rates.

 

Key Findings

  • COVID-19 infection during pregnancy was associated with a 45% increased risk of preeclampsia, which rose to 78% among unvaccinated women.
  • Vaccination reduced the overall odds of preeclampsia amongst women receiving a booster dose by 33%, statistically significant.
  • Among women with pre-existing health conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, or thyroid disorders, vaccination with a booster cut preeclampsia risk by 58%, statistically significant.
  • The protective effect of vaccination remained consistent after adjusting for key factors and may be extended beyond COVID-19 infection, suggesting potential benefits for preeclampsia prevention regardless of infection status.
  • Vaccinated women also experienced lower odds of preterm delivery, maternal and perinatal morbidity, and mortality.
  • In addition, amongst women that have a booster dose, the protective effect for preterm birth was 33%, maternal morbidity and mortality was 32%, severe perinatal morbidity and mortality was 29%, all of them statistically significant.

 

Read the full story on the Nuffield Department of Women's & Reproductive Health website.

 

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