Monday, December 20, 2021 | 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. EST

Globally, there are limited data on COVID-19 illness and vaccination during pregnancy to inform recommendations for pregnant people and their care providers and to guide public health policies.

For that reason, the COVID-19 Immunity Task Force (CITF) and CanCOVID are eager to share the latest research from three CITF-supported studies on the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 vaccination on pregnancy and newborns.

Among the topics to be addressed:

  • The increased risk of serious illness requiring hospital admission for pregnant people with a SARS-CoV-2 infection.
  • The higher risk of consequences to the baby (e.g. premature birth, low birth weight).
  • Results from a recent study on pregnancy outcomes among individuals who received COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy, compared with unvaccinated individuals.
  • The presence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in breastmilk and the value of breastfeeding following infection and vaccination.

The results from these studies are communicated regularly to public health officials to help inform decision-making for ongoing COVID-19 vaccine administration programs in Canada.

Speakers

Tali Bogler

Moderator | Tali Bogler, MD, CCFP, MScCH

Staff Physician, Department of Family & Community Medicine, St. Michael’s Hospital, Chair, Family Medicine Obstetrics, St. Michael’s Hospital, and Assistant Professor, University of Toronto, Co-Founder, Pandemic Pregnancy Guide

Catherine Hankins, MD, PhD

Co-Chair of the COVID-19 Immunity Task Force
Professor of Public and Population Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University

Deborah Money

Deborah Money, MD, FRCSC

Professor, Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Medicine, & SPPH, University of British Columbia
Clinician Scientist, Women’s Health Research Institute, BC Women’s Hospital

Deshayne Fell

Deshayne Fell, PhD

Associate Professor, School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa
Scientist, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute

Deborah O’Connor, PhD

Earle W. McHenry Professor, and Chair, Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Toronto, and Scientist, Translational Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, and Scientific Associate Staff, Department of Pediatrics, Mount Sinai Hospital

Sharon Unger, MD, FRCPC

Professor, University of Toronto, and Neonatologist, Sinai Health, and Medical Director, Rogers Hixon Ontario Human Milk Bank