Authors
Laura Edwards, Sarah Ball, Danielle Hunt, Zuha Jeddy, Meredith Wesley, Abt Global; Fatimah Dawood, Brendan Flannery, Min Levine, Suryaprakash Sambhara, Shivaprakash Gangappa, Lauren Beacham, Weiping Cao, F Liaini Gross, Alicia Fry, Margarita Mishina, Sara Kim, Sarah Spencer, Mark Thompson, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Allison Naleway, Holly Groom, Kaiser Permanente Northwest; Kempapura Murthy, Kelsey Bounds, Manjusha Gaglani, Baylor Scott and White Health; Edward Belongia, Marshfield Clinic Research Institute
Influenza causes a substantial number of illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths annually. Although influenza vaccines remain a crucial tool in reducing disease burden, influenza vaccine effectiveness varies seasonally based on the prevalence of influenza virus types and sub-types and the extent to which the vaccines match the circulating viruses, which occurs to varying degrees each year.
The most common method of manufacturing inactivated influenza vaccines relies on growing the virus in embryonated chicken eggs. This process can result in mutations that cause differences between the strain used in the vaccine and circulating influenza strains. Vaccines that do not rely on egg-based production, including cell culture-based and recombinant vaccines, may induce higher immune responses to circulating influenza strains than egg-based vaccines.
Abt and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted a randomized, open-label trial to compare immune responses to conventional egg-based vaccines with responses to cell culture-based and recombinant products. The trial was conducted among more than 700 healthcare personnel at two sites in the United States. Study results show marginal immunogenic benefit from the recombinant influenza vaccine compared with conventional egg-based vaccines or cell culture-based vaccines.
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Association between SARS-CoV-2 Infections during Pregnancy and Preterm Live Birth
How has SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) affected birth outcomes for pregnant persons, and is there a correlation between SARS-CoV-2 infections and preterm live birth? More than three years after the start of the pandemic, researchers are still looking for – and finding – answers. While many studies state that most SARS-CoV-2 infections during pregnancy are mild, others have reported associations between prenatal COVID-19 and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Researchers aim to better inform and advise pregnant persons on the risks of prenatal SARS-CoV-2 infections on newborns, especially as different variants continue to emerge.During August 2020–October 2021 the Epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 in Pregnancy and Infancy (ESPI) study enrolled a cohort of pregnant women at less than 28 weeks gestation at three U.S. medical centers in Salt Lake City, UT; New York City, NY; and Birmingham, AL. Participants were followed with systematic surveillance until the end of their pregnancies, self-collecting and returning weekly nasal swab specimens. Additional swab specimens were collected when the particpants experienced any onset of COVID-like symptoms: fever, cough, shortness of breath, etc. Those enrolled also provided blood samples to test for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies as evidence of infection.Among 954 participants with a live birth, 185 (19%) had evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection during their pregnancy and 123 (13%) had preterm births. Overall, there was no significant association between preterm birth and SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy. While the infections studied in this analysis were predominantly deemed mild and/or asymptomatic, COVID-19 vaccination for pregnant persons remains important to prevent severe infections that may be associated with additional complications.Take a deeper dive into this publication to learn more!
Neutralizing Antibody Responses to mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines versus SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Pregnant Women and Vaccine Induced Antibody Transfer to Infants
Pregnant people with two COVID-19 vaccine doses have vaccine-induced antibodies, a CDC study co-written by Abt shows, but antibodies transferred to infants wane quickly.
Assessment of Neurodevelopment in Infants With and Without Exposure to Asymptomatic or Mild Maternal SARS-CoV-2 Infection During Pregnancy
This study found no association between asymptomatic or mild COVID-19 cases among pregnant individuals and infant neurodevelopment.
Reliability and Validity of an Innovative High Performing Healthcare System Assessment Tool
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