Scientists hope the assessment will provide more information on the immune response in pregnant women LONDON: The first COVID-19 vaccine study for pregnant women has been launched in Britain. It will assess the safety of the Pfizer-BioNTech jab in healthy pregnant women. Some 235 participants will be recruited for the study, which will take place at 11 sites across Britain. Scientists hope the assessment will provide more information on the immune response in pregnant women, and to confirm if maternal antibodies are transferred to infants. The participants will initially receive two doses of the vaccine or a placebo with a gap of 21 days between each jab. The placebo will be a saltwater solution, as is standard practice for vaccine trials. The participants will answer questionnaires about their health and provide blood samples, complete an e-diary and receive extra monitoring throughout the assessment. Volunteers will need to attend their site four times before their baby is born, and twice after the birth. Dr. Chrissie Jones, the study’s chief investigator, said: “While we have a large amount of real-world data which tells us that it’s safe for pregnant women to receive approved COVID-19 vaccines, the data gathered from a controlled research study like this is important because it will give us more information about the vaccine immune response in pregnant women.”