Almost all pregnant women in hospital with Covid over six months were unvaccinated
Almost all pregnant women admitted to hospital with Covid over several months last year were unvaccinated, the government has warned.
About 96.3% who were in hospital with coronavirus symptoms between May and October last year were unvaccinated, and a third needed respiratory support.
The Department of Health and Social Care cited statistics from the UK Obstetric Surveillance System.
It is urging expectant parents to get their vaccines immediately, saying medical experts are clear that the Covid-19 vaccines are safe for people who are pregnant and will have no impact on fertility.
Around one in five pregnant patients admitted to hospital with the virus need to be delivered pre-term to help them recover, and one in five of their babies need care in the neonatal unit.
Since April 2021, around 84,000 pregnant people have received one dose of the Covid vaccine and more than 80,000 have received two doses, the department said.
Dr Jen Jardine, from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, who is seven months pregnant and has had her booster jab, said: “Both as a doctor and pregnant mother myself, we can now be very confident that the Covid-19 vaccinations provide the best possible protection for you and your unborn child against this virus.
“I would strongly call on all pregnant women like me, if you haven’t had the vaccine yet, to either speak to your GP or midwife if you still have questions and then book right away today.”
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Professor Lucy Chappell, chief scientific adviser to the Department of Health and Social Care, said: “Getting a Covid-19 vaccine is one of the most important things a pregnant woman can do this year to keep herself and her baby as safe from this virus as possible.
“We have extensive evidence now to show that the vaccines are safe and that the risks posed by Covid-19 are far greater.
“If you haven’t had your Covid-19 vaccine, I would urge you to speak to your clinician or midwife if you have any questions or concerns, and book in your vaccine as soon as you can.”