DeepSummary
The episode discusses maternal immunization, which involves vaccinating pregnant individuals to protect both the mother and the unborn child. It explores the history of maternal immunization, dating back to observations in the 1800s that infants born to mothers who had measles or received the smallpox vaccine during pregnancy were protected from those diseases. In recent times, maternal immunization has been used to combat outbreaks like the 2012 pertussis outbreak in the UK, where vaccinating pregnant women significantly reduced infant deaths.
The episode explains how antibodies from the mother are transferred to the fetus through the placenta, providing protection to the newborn until they can receive their own vaccinations. The timing of vaccination during pregnancy is crucial to ensure maximum antibody transfer. While maternal immunization has proven effective, challenges remain, such as access to vaccines, healthcare worker trust, and effective communication about the benefits.
The episode features insights from Professor Beata Kampmann, a pediatric infectious disease specialist, who discusses the science behind maternal immunization, its history, and the importance of protecting infants from life-threatening infections during their first few months of life.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Maternal immunization involves vaccinating pregnant individuals to transfer protective antibodies to their unborn children.
- Maternal immunization has a long history, with observations dating back to the 1800s about infants being protected from diseases like measles and smallpox when their mothers contracted or were vaccinated against those diseases during pregnancy.
- Maternal immunization programs, such as the WHO's tetanus vaccination program for pregnant women, have significantly reduced infant mortality rates from preventable infectious diseases.
- The timing of vaccination during pregnancy is crucial to ensure maximum antibody transfer to the fetus.
- Maternal immunization faces challenges, including access to vaccines, healthcare worker trust, and effective communication about the benefits.
- Inactivated, subunit, conjugate, and toxoid vaccines are generally considered safe for use during pregnancy, but there is less precedent for the newer mRNA vaccines like the COVID-19 vaccines.
- Maternal immunization not only protects the newborn but also the pregnant individual, who may be more susceptible to certain infections during pregnancy.
- Continued research and long-term follow-up are essential to ensure the safety and efficacy of maternal immunization.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “In 1988, the WHO estimated that there were 787,000 newborns who died of neonatal tetanus. It was observed that women who had been immunized against tetanus sometime in their lives or during the pregnancy didn't have this issue. So the WHO instituted a program of protection by giving tetanus boosters in pregnancy. And now we are having figures of much improved neonatal tetanus cases. We're only down to 25,000 newborns. It's still too many because it is probably entirely preventable. But even between 20, 20, 18, when we have the latest figures, there's been an 88% reduction from the situation before. And that is really due to the maternal tetanus program, and I think that's one of the main triumphs.“ by Beata Kampman
- “We know that vaccines have made an enormous contribution to lowering the mortality and morbidity in children under the age of five, and that is largely due to vaccinations that we've introduced through the expanded program of immunisation.“ by Beata Kampman
- “But also there is an element of trust that has to be built in the system, and we can all help to increase that trust around vaccination in general, which also might be picked up by pregnant women whose prime interest it is to protect their unborn babies.“ by Beata Kampman
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Episode Information
The Antigen
Pfizer
11/15/22
In the first episode of this three-part series, host Kari Yacisin introduces us to the world of maternal immunization. Vaccinations for pregnant people are not new, but they have historically been left out of the vaccine narrative. With the help of expert Beate Kampmann, pediatric infectious disease specialist, Kari walks us through the importance of maternal immunization, its history, and what it really means to transfer protection from mother to child.
Special thanks to the maternal immunization team at Pfizer and the production team at Wonder Media Network.