<\/p>\n
A Cortez health care worker who received two shots of the coronavirus vaccine while pregnant gave birth to a girl last month with high levels of virus antibodies.<\/p>\n
Haley Saunders was nine months pregnant when she received her second dose of the Moderna coronavirus vaccine. Saunders had not contracted COVID-19.<\/p>\n
Saunders told The Journal <\/em>that the only side effect she experienced from the vaccine were slight aches at night. She and her husband, Ryan, welcomed their first child, 6-pound, 13-ounce Reese, to the world on Feb. 24 at Southwest Memorial Hospital.<\/p>\n When Saunders took her daughter in for routine newborn blood work with Southwest Health System last week, she asked whether the baby could also be tested for antibodies.<\/p>\n \u201cThey found out really quickly, I think by the end of the day, that she had really high levels of antibodies,\u201d Saunders said. \u201cWe were all pretty excited.\u201d<\/p>\n Southwest Health System Directory of Laboratory Services Alan Laird explained that specific antibodies induced by the vaccine can transfer to the baby if the mother previously had the virus and developed her own, or if the mother was recently vaccinated.<\/p>\n \u201cWe got a very positive result,\u201d Laird said. \u201cTo us, it just shows that yes, she was vaccinated five weeks prior. Her body responded and developed antibodies, and those antibodies then crossed the placenta.\u201d<\/p>\n Although the baby\u2019s \u201cpassive\u201d antibodies from her mother will provide a baby with significant protection from the virus, they wane over time.<\/p>\n Reese is not producing her own antibodies.<\/p>\n \u201cSince the baby hasn\u2019t actually been vaccinated or exposed to COVID, the baby would be able to be infected in the future,\u201d Laird said.<\/p>\n Laird told The Journal <\/em>that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers<\/a> the vaccine to be OK for pregnant women. Pregnant women considering getting the vaccine are encouraged to discuss it with a health care provider.<\/p>\n Saunders took many factors into consideration before receiving a vaccination.<\/p>\n \u201cWe made the decision for ourselves,\u201d Saunders said. \u201cObviously any other pregnant mom or family would have to do their own research and find their comfort level.\u201d<\/p>\n Saunders came to the conclusion after reading research from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists about the potential dangers of a pregnant woman contracting the virus<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cFor me, the risks of COVID and being pregnant were significantly higher than taking the vaccine,\u201d Saunders said.<\/p>\n According to Laird, it is not necessary for everyone to have their newborn tested for antibodies. But it does answer questions for medical experts.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s kind of novel because this is a novel disease,\u201d Laird said. \u201cIt\u2019s interesting to show that the vaccine is working like we expect.\u201d<\/p>\n According to the Centers for Disease Control, children and adolescents younger than age 18 are not authorized to receive the Moderna or Janssen COVID-19 vaccine at this time. Children and adolescents younger than 16, are not authorized to receive the Pfizer vaccine at this time.<\/p>\n Saunders said she never worried about having a child amid the pandemic.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, it was always in our plan,\u201d Saunders said. \u201cWe weren\u2019t going to change our plan.\u201d<\/p>\n According to a March 17 CBSNews article<\/a>, a health worker from South Florida who had received one dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine while 36 weeks pregnant later passed on antibodies to her newborn child. It was considered one of the first cases of a newborn acquiring the antibodies during pregnancy.<\/p>\n