Comparison of Anti-SARS-CoV-2-Specific Antibody Signatures in Maternal and Infant Blood after COVID-19 Infection versus COVID-19 Vaccination during Pregnancy

Abstract

Objective The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine for pregnant persons to prevent severe illness and death. The objective was to examine levels of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) IgG, IgM, and IgA against spike protein receptor binding domain (RBD) and nucleocapsid protein (NCP) in maternal and infant/cord blood at delivery after COVID 19 vaccination compared with SARS-CoV-2 infection at in mother–infant dyads at specified time points. Study Design Mothers with SARS-CoV-2 infection (n = 31) or COVID-19 vaccination (n = 25) during pregnancy were enrolled between July 2020 and November 2021. Samples were collected at delivery and IgG, IgM, and IgA to RBD of spike and NCPs compared in the infected and vaccinated groups. Timing of infection/vaccination prior to delivery and correlation with antibody levels was performed. Results The majority of participants received vaccination within 90 days of delivery and over half received the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine. There were no significant correlations between antibody levels and timing of infection or vaccination. Infant IgG levels to the RBD domain of spike protein were higher in the vaccinated group (n = 25) as compared with the infants born to mothers with infection (n = 31). Vaccination against COVID-19 during pregnancy was associated with detectable maternal and infant anti-RBD IgG levels at delivery irrespective of the timing of vaccination. Conclusion Timing of vaccination had no correlation to the antibody levels suggesting that the timing of maternal vaccination in the cohort did not matter. There was no IgM detected in infants from vaccinated mothers. Infants from vaccinated mothers had robust IgG titers to RBD, which have a lasting protective effect in infants. Key Points