Pregnant women who receive a Covid vaccine “transmit antibodies to their babies in the womb”

Pregnant women who have a Covid vaccine pass their protection on to their unborn babies, a study has suggested.

Researchers at New York University took blood samples from 36 babies born to mothers who received the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.

The results showed that they all had anti-coronavirus antibodies. Mothers in the second half of their pregnancy had the highest levels of antibodies in their umbilical cord blood, according to the study.

Experts said the results were not surprising as it happens with other jabs.

But they insisted the results prove vaccines have the “power to protect two lives at once by preventing serious illness in mothers and babies.”

NYU obstetrician Dr Ashley Roman and one of the lead authors said: “If babies could be born with antibodies, it could protect them in the first few months of life when they are most vulnerable. “

Children are at low risk of becoming seriously ill with Covid, a plethora of studies have shown since the start of the pandemic. But the risk is slightly higher in babies, who have weaker immune systems.

But data from Public Health England (PHE) shows pregnant women in Britain are still reluctant to receive a jab, with just 10% showing up for an appointment by the end of July – the most recent date for which data is available.

This despite the fact that women have been eligible for the vaccine along with the rest of their age group since April.

The numbers are slightly higher in the United States, where 23% of pregnant women are vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Protection (CDC).

So far, all studies have suggested that mRNA vaccines, such as Pfizer and Moderna, are safe for pregnant women, with no evidence behind claims that they cause stillbirths or birth defects.

NYU’s latest research was published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology – Maternal Fetal Medicine.

Despite the small sample size, “it is encouraging that neonatal antibody levels are high if women are vaccinated,” according to lead author Dr Jennifer Lighter.

She said: “High levels of transplacental antibody transfer are not surprising. It’s consistent with what we’re seeing with other vaccinations.

“Our findings add to a growing list of important reasons why women should be advised to receive the Covid vaccine during pregnancy for the added benefit of their newborn being critically protected.”

It comes amid a concerted push by health chiefs to encourage pregnant women to come forward for a vaccine.

Serious illness from Covid is rare in pregnant women, but is more likely in the third trimester.

Pregnant women who get sick with the virus are two to three times more likely to give birth prematurely, some studies have found.

British women are advised to be vaccinated by Pfizer and Moderna, as these vaccines have been given to more than 130,000 pregnant women in the United States and the data did not raise any safety concerns.

Dr Mary Ramsay, head of vaccination at PHE, said: “It is encouraging that thousands of pregnant women have received a Covid vaccine.

“We strongly urge anyone who has not yet accepted the offer to receive both doses as soon as possible and pregnant women to show up for their second dose eight weeks after their first dose.”

Dr Edward Morris, President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, said: “We are encouraged to see that over 50,000 pregnant women in England have received a dose of a Covid vaccine.

“We recommend vaccination during pregnancy because it is the most effective way to protect women and their babies against serious illness and premature birth.

“We are concerned that rising rates of Covid infection may have a negative impact on pregnant women.”