Pregnant women in Bucks urged to get Covid jab after rise in unvaccinated hospitalisations

Pregnant mums in Bucks have been urged to get Covid vaccinations by the local NHS Trust, as further hospitalisation data has become available.

Bucks NHS Trust reveals new data showing that 98% of pregnant women admitted to hospital with Covid hadn't been jabbed.

The trust says no fully vaccinated pregnant women have been hospitalised by the virus.

Heidi Beddall, head of midwifery for the trust, said: “COVID-19 can be serious for pregnant women. Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect you and your baby.

"Whether you are pregnant, think you might be, or are trying for a baby you can speak to your midwife, obstetrician or GP to get more information and advice about the vaccine. Even if you have previously declined the vaccine, you can still book an appointment to get your jab.”

Since April Covid vaccinations have been available to women in the UK in line with their age cohort.

Health leaders are calling for more young women to get jabbed, even if they're pregnant.

Professor Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent, chief midwifery officer for England, added: “Vaccines save lives, and this is another stark reminder that the COVID-19 jab can keep you, your baby and your loved ones, safe and out of hospital.

"We need everyone to come forward and take up the evergreen offer of a jab which is why I am calling on pregnant women to take action to protect themselves and their babies and on my fellow midwives to ensure they have the information they need to do so.”

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) and the Royal College of Midwives have both recommended vaccination as one of the best

defences for pregnant women against severe Covid-19 infection, while the independent JCVI confirms the jab has been shown to be effective and safe for women carrying a baby.

Whilst broadly in line with the current rise in hospital admissions due to coronavirus, the new data, collated by the UK Obstetric Surveillance System (UKOSS), shows the number of pregnant women being admitted to hospital with COVID-19 is increasing and many needing care are experiencing acute symptoms.

In the last three months alone, one in three pregnant women in hospital with COVID-19 in England required additional respiratory support (33%), with more than a third developing pneumonia (37%), and around one in seven needing intensive care (15%), the NHS says.

The data also shows that one in five women admitted to hospital with serious COVID symptoms went on to give birth prematurely, and the likelihood of delivery by caesarean section doubled. One in five babies born to mothers with COVID symptoms were also admitted to neonatal units.

Real-world data from the United States shows that more than 130,000 pregnant women have been vaccinated without any safety concerns being raised and more than 55,000 pregnant women in the UK have also received at least one dose of the vaccine.

Based on this US data, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advised earlier this year that pregnant women should be offered the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines.

The trust wants pregnant women with any vaccine related questions to contact a healthcare professional. It advises that Covid vaccinations can be booked on the NHS website or by calling 111.