Receiving the COVID-19 vaccine when pregnant can have some benefits for the newborn child as well, according to a study from the Centers for Disease Control.

Dr. Dana Meaney-Delman of the CDC explained that the odds of an infant below the age of six months being hospitalized because of COVID is reduced to around 60% if the mother received two shots of either mRNA vaccine [Pfizer or Moderna]. The health agency describes its findings as being “highly welcome,” and that “maternal vaccination is a really important way to help protect the young infants.”

The CDC highly encourages pregnant women to get vaccinated and further emphasized its safety. “COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy is recommended to prevent severe illness and death,” the agency said Tuesday. “Infants are at risk for COVID-19–associated complications, including respiratory failure and other life-threatening complications.”

Data from the study looked at infants below the age of six months across 17 states in 20 pediatric hospitals. Around 85% of infants hospitalized due to COVID were born to unvaccinated mothers, according to NBC News.

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky clarified that “those who received a booster dose had the most protection against emergency room visits, urgent care clinic visits, and hospitalizations.”

RELATED STORIES
Pfizer CDC