A Cosmos Study released last March 31 showed that pregnant women, as well as, people who had an organ transplant and who have immune system deficiencies are at a much greater risk of COVID-19 infection after vaccination.
Deseret News said the study emphasized that vaccinated pregnant people were twice more likely to be infected by COVID-19. The study is based on the medical records of 14 million people since vaccinations began.
"Pregnant people who are vaccinated have the greatest risk of developing covid among a dozen medical states, including being an organ transplant recipient and having cancer," the study said.
The study entitled, "Which Comorbidities Increase the Risk of a COVID-19 Breakthrough Infection?" compared fully vaccinated people for varying comorbidity groups. Those included in the study are COVID-19 breakthroughs for patients with Down Syndrome, mental health issues, solid organ transplant patients, and those who have cardiovascular, liver, pulmonary, and immune system diseases.
"We found that many of the comorbidity groups are at a higher risk of a breakthrough infection. Notably, pregnant individuals are 1.91 times as likely to have a breakthrough infection, individuals with a solid organ transplant are 1.83 times as likely, and individuals with an immune system deficiency are 1.63 times as likely," the study emphasized.
The authors also pointed out that those with Down Syndrome or with cancer did not have an increased risk of breakthrough infection. They said this finding was consistent with their separate research on the rates of COVID-19 cases for cancer patients as against those who do not have cancer.
In addition, the authors raised that their study's findings support that of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommendation for high-risk patients. The recommendation involves the need for enhanced infection prevention for patients with high-risk comorbidities after vaccination to avoid breakthrough infection of COVID-19.
The study's lead author and physician, Dr. David Little, said in an interview with The Washington Post that it is magnificent if a person is fully vaccinated. But revealed that a woman becomes at high risk for COVID-19 infection once pregnancy occurs.
While the CDC explained that the stress pregnancy entails opens the woman to be risky to COVID-19 infection. This is why the CDC has urged the need for vaccinations for pregnant people, those who just became pregnant, and those who intend to become pregnant soon.
"Pregnancy can be both a special time and also a stressful time--and pregnancy during a pandemic is an added concern for families. I strongly encourage those who are pregnant or considering pregnancy to talk with their health care provider about the protective benefits of the COVID-19 vaccine to keep their babies and themselves safe," Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said.
These findings were echoed in a study published by the University of Utah Obstetrics and Gynecology Associate Professor Dr. Torri Metz in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Metz said they have seen a 40% likelihood of pregnant women experiencing serious complications and even death during pregnancy when they have contracted the virus as against pregnant women who didn't. Mertz stressed that the findings confirm what the medical community has been repeatedly advising pregnant women, which is to avoid getting infected with COVID-19.
