COVID Shots in Pregnancy Protect Infants' First 6 Months

The research adds important evidence for clinicians counseling pregnant patients.

Mar. 20, 2026 at 4:34am

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A new study published in Pediatrics found that COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy protects infants from hospitalization during their first 6 months of life. The study, led by researcher Helena Niemi Eide, MD, MPH, from the University of Oslo, analyzed data on over 146,000 births in Norway and found that infants of vaccinated mothers were half as likely to need hospital care for COVID-19 in the first 2 months of life compared to infants of unvaccinated mothers.

Why it matters

This study provides valuable evidence for clinicians to share with pregnant patients about the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination in protecting both the mother and her infant in the critical first months after birth, when infants are most vulnerable to severe COVID-19 illness.

The details

The researchers conducted a register-based cohort study, linking birth records to data from Norway's Immunisation Registry and national disease surveillance system. They found that during the first 2 months of life, infants of vaccinated mothers were 52% less likely to be hospitalized for COVID-19 compared to infants of unvaccinated mothers. This protective effect declined over time, with a 24% lower risk by 5 months of age, and no statistically significant difference after 6 months.

  • The study was published on March 20, 2026 in the journal Pediatrics.
  • As of March 7, 2026, 11% of pregnant women in the US had received the COVID-19 vaccine, according to the CDC.

The players

Helena Niemi Eide

Researcher in the Department of Community Medicine and Global Health at the University of Oslo in Oslo, Norway, and the lead author of the study.

Luke A. Gatta

Assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, who was not involved in the study.

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What they’re saying

“The flu and COVID-19 vaccine have historically been recommended to protect mom, and Tdap and RSV [respiratory syncytial virus] were given to mom to benefit the baby. Now, we know these lines are blurred because she's also protecting her baby in those first 6 months of life by getting the COVID-19 vaccine.”

— Luke A. Gatta, Assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology

“Maternal antibodies are transported across the placenta after vaccination in pregnancy and may protect the infant in the vulnerable first months after birth.”

— Helena Niemi Eide, Researcher

What’s next

Clinicians should continue to encourage pregnant patients to get the COVID-19 vaccine, emphasizing the window of protection it provides for their infants in the critical first 6 months of life.

The takeaway

This study provides important evidence that COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy can significantly reduce the risk of hospitalization for infants in their first 6 months of life, underscoring the benefits of vaccination for both the mother and her baby.