COVID-19 vaccine protection for pregnant people and their babies
Official title: COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness in Pregnant Women and their Infants
Funded at Kaiser Foundation Research Institute · NIH-11358279 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work looks at whether COVID-19 vaccines given during pregnancy keep pregnant people and their infants from getting COVID-19 or needing hospital care.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Kaiser Foundation Research Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Oakland, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | March 10, 2022 |
| Project end | February 28, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $514,706 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI168373-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11358279 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are pregnant people receiving care in the participating health system and their infants followed during the first year of life.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not pregnant, whose records are not in the participating health system, or whose infants are not followed in the system would not be included or directly benefit from participation.
What this research studies
If you are pregnant, researchers will use health records and lab-confirmed COVID-19 results to compare vaccinated and unvaccinated pregnant people for infections and hospitalizations. They will also track infants during their first year to see if maternal vaccination reduces infant COVID-19 and hospital stays, and whether timing by trimester matters. The team will measure vaccination rates over time and identify social, demographic, and geographic patterns among people who do and do not get vaccinated. Data come from the health system's patient records and linked infant health records.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could clarify whether maternal COVID-19 vaccination protects both parent and baby and help guide timing and outreach for vaccination in pregnancy.
How similar studies have gone: Real-world observational data and some studies suggest maternal COVID-19 vaccination provides protection to mothers and newborns, but more detailed effectiveness and timing data are still needed.
Where this research is happening
-
Kaiser Foundation Research Institute
Oakland, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zerbo, Ousseny — Kaiser Foundation Research Institute
- Study coordinator: Zerbo, Ousseny
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.