Pregnancy Vaccine Trial Aims to Shield Newborns from Group B Strep

A new UK-based research project is inviting pregnant women and birthing people to take part in a study testing whether a maternal vaccine could help protect babies from Group B Streptococcus (GBS), a common bacterium carried by around one in five pregnant women.

The trial, called the BEATRIX Study, is looking at vaccination during pregnancy as a possible way to reduce the risk of serious illness in newborns linked to GBS. While many people who carry GBS have no symptoms, it can sometimes lead to complications in pregnancy and, more rarely, severe infections in babies.

Participants who join the study will be given a single injection between 24 and 36 weeks of pregnancy. They will receive either the study vaccine or a placebo, which looks the same but contains no active ingredients. Researchers will then monitor the health of both the participant and their baby, with study visits running through pregnancy and continuing for up to a year after birth. Some appointments may take place by phone or at home.

Those taking part will have access to a 24-hour phone line to the study team and will receive additional monitoring after vaccination. There is no cost to join, and participants will be compensated for their time and travel.

The study is recruiting healthy pregnant women and birthing people who are expecting a single healthy baby. Organisers say the work could contribute to wider efforts to prevent GBS-related illness, with the aim of helping protect babies not only in the UK but worldwide.

Anyone interested in taking part can find out more at [https://vaccine.ac.uk/beatrix/) or by contacting Professor Asthma Khalil on 02087255382 or email: BeatrixStudy@sgul.ac.uk.