A recent study by the INTERCOVID Consortium, which includes Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, has found that receiving a COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy can lower the risk of preeclampsia. The research suggests that this benefit is especially significant when pregnant individuals receive a booster dose.
The study was published in eClinicalMedicine and examined data from 6,527 pregnant women in 18 countries between 2020 and 2022. Researchers compared preeclampsia rates among vaccinated and unvaccinated women, including those who did and did not contract SARS-CoV-2.
"These results go beyond the known benefits of COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy," said Professor José Villar, senior co-author of the study and Principal Investigator of the INTERCOVID consortium from the Nuffield Department of Women's & Reproductive Health at the University of Oxford (UK). "We now have evidence that maternal vaccination may influence pathways involved in preeclampsia development, suggesting a broader immunological or vascular benefit of vaccination."
Preeclampsia affects an estimated 3% to 8% of pregnancies globally and is a major cause of illness and death for mothers and newborns. While its causes are not fully understood, inflammation and problems with blood vessels are believed to play a role—mechanisms also linked to COVID-19 infection.
The findings indicate that COVID-19 vaccination might help regulate immune responses and blood vessel function related to preeclampsia, even for those who do not get infected with COVID-19. This supports other research suggesting some vaccines can have wider effects on immune system regulation.
The INTERCOVID Consortium brings together more than 40 hospitals across 18 countries to study outcomes for mothers and babies during the pandemic.
