# Defining the optimal type and timing of COVID-19 vaccine in pregnancy

> **NIH NIH R21** · BETH ISRAEL DEACONESS MEDICAL CENTER · 2022 · $216,125

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Pregnant individuals are more likely to require invasive mechanical ventilation or die from complications related
to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) than non-pregnant women. COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy can
prevent the consequences of infection for the mother and provide passive immunity to newborns through
placental transfer of vaccine-induced antibodies. The maternal immune system undergoes adaptive changes
during pregnancy characterized by both active suppression of immune responses against the developing
pregnancy and pro-inflammatory signals to promote healthy implantation and initiate labor. The central
hypothesis is that the adaptive immunologic changes in pregnancy lead to differences in the development of
vaccine-induced immunity depending on the gestational age at vaccination and/or the vaccine platform used.
The overall objective of this proposal is to address important knowledge gaps including limited information
regarding cellular immune responses following maternal vaccination, immune responses after vaccination in
early pregnancy, and comparison of immunogenicity across different vaccine platforms. The research proposed
is innovative because we will use a comprehensive immune profiling approach to quantify functional cellular and
antibody responses in order to define the COVID-19 vaccine type and timing that optimizes robust and durable
maternal vaccine-induced immunity (Aim 1) and neonatal passive immunity from placental transfer of viral
neutralizing antibody (Aim 2). The proposed research is significant because it is expected to provide data to
inform clinical recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines in pregnancy to improve maternal and neonatal
outcomes. The long-term goal will be to provide preliminary data for a larger study evaluating vaccine efficacy
for pregnant individuals and their neonates. The knowledge provided by this proposal will also inform future
vaccine development for other important and emerging pathogens in pregnancy.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10433615
- **Project number:** 1R21AI169309-01
- **Recipient organization:** BETH ISRAEL DEACONESS MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Ai-ris Yonekura Collier
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $216,125
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-01-21 → 2023-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10433615

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10433615, Defining the optimal type and timing of COVID-19 vaccine in pregnancy (1R21AI169309-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10433615. Licensed CC0.

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