South Florida mom hopes baby born with COVID-19 antibodies encourages more vaccinations

A Palm Beach County mom whose baby girl is believed to be the first detected with COVID-19 antibodies at birth says she hopes her story will encourage other mothers to get the vaccine.

The woman, only going by her first name Mary-Kate, is a front-line healthcare worker and says she was 36 weeks pregnant when she got the first dose of the Moderna vaccine.

Her baby girl Addison was born three weeks later, and when doctors tested her blood, results showed she had coronavirus antibodies.

“I think it was important to come out and tell everyone, ‘Hey, there’s potential protection for your baby,’” Mary-Kate said. “She’s proof right here. She’s a healthy, beautiful baby, and you can’t ask for more than that.”

Doctors say further studies have to be conducted to determine how long the protection will last.


About the Author:

Eric Yutzy joined Local 10 News as a news anchor and reporter. He co-anchors Local 10 News on weekday mornings.