A NEW vaccine is being trialled to help a little-known disease which can lead to deafness, cerebral palsy, seizures, ADHD, and autism in children.
Abbie Teague, 31 and from Salisbury, lost her unborn baby Eadie when she was 27 weeks pregnant after contracting Cytomegalovirus (CMV) and admitted she had never heard of the disease before.
She said a vaccine for CMV "would be a fantastic idea but it should be part of the routine screening because you have your bloods anyway".
Abbie added: "They should let you know if you’ve already had CMV which 85 per cent of the population already have. So, if you do get it, then you’ve already got the antibodies."
CMV spreads from person to person through body fluids and in pregnancy and babies can be infected before being born and following birth including through breast milk.
An estimated two or three babies are born with the disease every day in the UK.
Read more: MP Tobias Ellwood talks about a new world order in Salisbury
Abbie said: “But if you get CMV for the first time during your pregnancy, then it really affects your baby. It should be part of the screening at ten weeks, and you should be told if you are at high risk of a CMV pregnancy and if you need to take precautions.”
Moderna who is behind the trial is hoping to recruit 8,000 participants and a spokesperson said: “The aim of the trial is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of our vaccine, mRNA-1647, against primary CMV infection in women aged 16-40 years."
Read more: Area Board hears updates about the A36
CMV Action, the only UK charity supporting families affected by congenital CMV, welcomed the trials and called for a better understanding of the virus and its risks.
Project manager at CMV Action, Sharon Wood, said: "The virus is very common, and, in most people, you wouldn't know you had it.
"But when a pregnant mum catches it and passes it onto a newborn baby, the effects can be devastating. We're always lobbying for more tests to be done and drugs to be offered, but by the time that happens it will already be too late for so many children.
"There are ways to mitigate the risks of a pregnant woman being infected, but if nobody talks about it, nothing will change."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here