And Sydney restrictions ease as no further community cases are reported.
Welcome to The Medical Republic’s COVID Catch-Up.
It’s the day’s covid-19 news in one convenient post. Email bianca@biancanogrady.com with any tips, comments or feedback.
17 May
- mRNA vaccines generate antibody responses in pregnant and breastfeeding women, study shows.
- Sydney lifts restrictions but mystery still surrounds source of recent community cases.
- Latest covid-19 infection numbers from around Australia.
Pregnant and breastfeeding women show similar antibody responses to mRNA vaccines as non-pregnant or breastfeeding women, and these antibodies also appear in cord blood and breast milk, research suggests.
A paper published in JAMA outlined the immunological outcomes from covid-19 vaccination using either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines in 30 pregnant women, 16 breastfeeding women, and 57 neither pregnant nor breastfeeding.
The study found no adverse events – including pregnancy or neonatal complications – associated with vaccination. The antibody responses, including neutralising antibodies, were comparable among the pregnant, breast-feeding and control groups.
Neutralising and binding antibodies were also detected in breast milk and cord blood, suggesting that the maternal antibodies are transferred to infants.
Restrictions have now eased in New South Wales as no more new cases emerge from the mystery breach of hotel quarantine in Sydney that led to a Bondi couple becoming infected with covid-19.
There is now no limit on the number of guests that can visit a private household and masks are no longer mandatory – although are still encouraged – on public transport and in public venues.
Here are the latest covid-19 infection numbers from around Australia to 9pm Sunday:
National – 29,975 with 910 deaths
ACT – 124 (0)
NSW – 5558 (3)
NT – 169 (2)
QLD – 1589 (1)
SA – 742 (0)
TAS – 234 (0)
VIC – 20,544 (4)
WA – 1015 (0)
