Safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccine immunization during pregnancy in 1024 pregnant women infected with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron virus in Shanghai, China

Abstract

Background: Large sample of pregnant women vaccinated with COVID-19 vaccine has not been carried out in China. The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 inactivated vaccine in pregnant women infected with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant.

Methods: A total of 1,024 pregnant women and 120 newborns were enrolled in this study. 707 pregnant women received one to three doses of the inactivated COVID-19 vaccine, and 317 unvaccinated patients served as the control group. A comparison was made between their clinical and laboratory data at different stages of pregnancy.

Results: The incidence rate of patients infected with Omicron variant in the first, the second, and the third trimesters of pregnancy was 27.5%, 27.0%, and 45.5% in patients during, respectively. The corresponding length of hospital stay was 8.7 ± 3.3 days, 9.5 ± 3.3 days, and 11 ± 4.3 days, respectively. The hospitalization time of pregnant women who received 3 doses of vaccine was (8.8 ± 3.3) days, which was significantly shorter than that of non-vaccinated women (11.0 ± 3.9) days. (P<0.0001). The positive rate of SARS-CoV-2 IgG in patients in the early stage of pregnancy was 28.8%, while that in patients in the late stage of pregnancy was 10.3%. However, three-doses of vaccination significantly increased the SARS-CoV-2 IgG positive rate to 49.5%. The hospitalization time of SARS-CoV-2 IgG-positive patients was shorter than that of negative patients (9.9 ± 3.5 days), which was 7.4 ± 2.0 days. 12.2% of vaccinated women experienced mild adverse reactions, manifested as fatigue (10.6%) and loss of appetite (1.6%). The vaccination of mother did not affect her choice of future delivery mode and the Apgar score of their newborn. All newborns tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid, as well as for IgG and IgM antibodies.

Conclusions: Women in the third trimester of pregnancy are highly susceptible to infection with the Omicron strain. The vaccination of pregnant women with COVID-19 vaccine can accelerate the process of eliminating SARS-CoV-2 virus, and is considered safe for newborns. The recommended vaccination includes three doses.

Keywords: COVID-19 vaccination; Omicron strain infection; breastfeeding; newborns; pregnancy; vertical transmission.