Researchers in the UK hope to find out the optimal vaccine schedule for pregnant women against Covid-19.Professor Jacqueline DunkleyBent, the chief midwifery officer in England, advised expectant mothers to be vaccinated last week. There is evidence that the Delta variant of the virus poses a greater risk than other forms to women.Preg-CoV is a clinical trial that was launched to determine the optimal dose for pregnant women. It also explored the potential side-effects on babies. This will hopefully provide some reassurance.Paul Heath, chief investigator of this trial and professor of paediatric infectious disease at St Georges University of London, stated that pregnant women are more likely to experience severe Covid-19 and need hospitalisation or intensive care admissions. They also have a higher risk of giving birth prematurely.We must ensure that pregnant women are vaccinated in the best possible way to protect them.Asma Khalil was the lead obstetrician in the trial. She is also a professor of maternal fetal medicine at St Georges.Khalil said that less than one-third of the eligible women according to guidance who gave birth in her hospital between March and July received at least one dose of the Covid vaccine during pregnancy.This is despite the fact that real-world data from over 130,000 pregnancies in the US and 52,000 in England does not raise safety concerns.Khalil stated that pregnant women are still worried because they were not included in the initial Covid vaccine trials.The Preg-CoV team hopes to recruit 600 pregnancies between the ages of 18 and 44 from 13 locations across England in the first phase.Randomization of two groups of 200 pregnant women who have not been vaccinated at different gestational times and with respect to their Moderna or jab status, as well as whether or not they get their second dose at 4 to 6 weeks or 8-12 weeks following the first one, will take place.Heath said that participants will not be able to identify which Covid jab was given. Heath also added that a routine vaccine against whooping cough is included in the schedule. Participants will not be able to determine which dosing regimen they are following.A third group, consisting of approximately 100 women who are pregnant, will receive one dose of Covid jab between 28 and 34 weeks gestation. The second dose will be given after delivery. Meanwhile, the fourth group, which consists of 100 women, will have received their first dose of Covid jab either before or very early during pregnancy, and will receive the second dose.All women will be followed-up and have blood tests. They will also fill out an electronic diary that allows researchers to monitor potential side effects. To assess safety and impact on development, the team will monitor the outcomes of babies as young as 12 months.Experts note that there is no evidence to suggest that the jabs cause harm to babies. They reduce preterm births or stillbirths and antibodies can cross the placenta to help protect the child from Covid.Heath stated that the trial would fill the gaps in our knowledge regarding the Covid jabs for pregnant women. First results on possible side effects are expected by the end of this year, and the first data on immune response data will be available in the first quarter next year.Khalil said that there are many lessons to be learned from the pandemic. One of those lessons is that pregnant women should be included at an early stage in vaccine trials.
