A breakthrough in the fight against the CMV virus offers hope to pregnant women as Moderna’s final research stages on their vaccine are underway. The vaccine, named mRNA-1647, utilizes the same technology as Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccines, stimulating the body to produce antibodies that neutralize the virus and mobilizing white blood cells to eliminate it. These antibodies remain in the body as a lasting ‘immune memory,’ ready to fend off future invasions by the same virus.

The vaccine’s initial phase, focusing on safety, began in 2019 and indicated that it was safe and led to an increase in antibodies against the CMV virus, both in healthy individuals and pregnant women. Subsequent research involving 252 volunteers in 2020 confirmed the vaccine’s safety and efficacy in antibody production. The final phase, encompassing around 8,000 participants in the USA and Europe, is expected to conclude within months, with approximately one more year needed for the FDA to finalize its approval process.

Professor Tal Biron-Shental, chairwoman and director of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Division at Meir Medical Center, emphasized the significant harm CMV infection can cause to the fetus. While most pregnant women who contract the virus do not transmit it to their fetus, there is no reliable way to determine this until signs of fetal damage appear on an ultrasound, sometimes only detectable after birth. Affected fetuses may suffer from conditions including deafness, blindness, and extensive brain damage. Biron-Shental highlighted the importance of prevention through vaccination, expressing confidence in the safety and efficacy of Moderna’s vaccine.