Washington: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced on Wednesday that it has begun an observational study to evaluate how pregnant or postpartum recipients react to COVID-19 vaccines. 

The NIH said that researchers will measure the development and durability of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in women vaccinated during pregnancy or the first two postpartum months. They also will assess vaccine safety and evaluate the transfer of vaccine-induced antibodies to infants across the placenta and through breast milk, according to the NIH.

The study will enrol up to 750 pregnant women and 250 postpartum individuals within two months of delivery who have received or will receive a Covid-19 vaccine authorised by the US Food and Drug Administration. Their infants also will be enrolled in the study. Participants and their infants will be followed through the first year after delivery.

To assess the development and durability of vaccine-induced antibodies overall and by vaccine type and vaccine platform, researchers will analyse blood samples collected from pregnant and postpartum participants, according to the National Institutes of Health.

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