HealthPartners awarded $3.4 million grant to study health outcomes of RSV vaccination during pregnancy

Research will provide practical evidence to inform clinical guidelines and support decision making

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – HealthPartners Institute has received a $3.4 million grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to evaluate birth outcomes, lactation and child development following respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination during pregnancy.

Throughout the five-year study, the Institute and collaborators from five health systems will build on existing research and assess outcomes in children up to three years of age. Researchers will analyze electronic health records for growth and developmental screening as well as lactation data that is routinely collected at post-partum and well-child visits.

“We surveyed patients receiving their prenatal care at HealthPartners and learned that a lack of comprehensive safety data on the maternal RSV vaccine may contribute to vaccine hesitancy,” said Kristi Palmsten, ScD, principal investigator on the new study and senior research investigator with HealthPartners Institute. “The maternal RSV vaccine clinical trial did not have data on lactation-related outcomes or long-term infant and child health effects. Our new study will provide evidence-based data about the safety of RSV vaccines that is crucial for informed decision making.”

The Food and Drug Administration approved the maternal RSV vaccine for pregnant people between 32-36 weeks' gestation in August 2023. The one-time dose creates antibodies that are passed to the fetus, which provide protection against severe RSV infection.

RSV is the leading cause of infant hospitalization in the United States. Vaccination during pregnancy is shown to have 69% efficacy against severe RSV in the infant up to six months.

Earlier this month, HealthPartners began administering the maternal RSV vaccine to patients for the 2024-2025 RSV season, per CDC recommendations. Patients can receive the maternal RSV vaccine during their routine prenatal visit and don’t need to schedule a separate appointment.