Pregnant women who have not yet received their first, second, third or booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine are urged to get vaccinated as soon as possible as the government launches a new advertising campaign for the new year .
The new campaign joins forces with experts from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (RCOG) and the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) to highlight the serious risks of catching COVID-19 and the benefits vaccines bring to protect both mothers and their children. babies.
Testimonials from pregnant women who got kicked to protect themselves will be featured in ads on social media and radio stations across the country starting today [Monday January 10].
The new campaign urges pregnant women “not to wait to get vaccinated” and highlights the risks of COVID-19 for mother and baby, as well as the benefits of vaccination.
The latest data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows that vaccinations against COVID-19 offer strong protection for pregnant women against the virus. It also shows that the vaccines are safe for pregnant women, with similar birth outcomes for those who received the vaccine and those who did not.
Lucy Chappell, DHSC Chief Scientific Advisor and Honorary Consultant Obstetrician, said:
Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 is one of the most important things a pregnant woman can do this year to protect herself and her baby against this virus.
We now have plenty of evidence to show that vaccines are safe and that the risks posed by COVID-19 are far greater.
If you haven’t received your COVID-19 vaccine, I urge you to speak to your clinician or midwife if you have any questions or concerns, and to book your vaccine as soon as possible.”
Data from the UK Obstetric Surveillance System shows that 96.3% of pregnant women admitted to hospital with symptoms of COVID-19 between May and October 2021 were unvaccinated, with a third (33%) requiring assistance respiratory. About 1 in 5 women hospitalized with the virus need to deliver preterm to help them recover, and 1 in 5 of their babies need care in the neonatal unit.
COVID-19 vaccines are safe for pregnant women and have no impact on fertility, which has been made overwhelmingly clear by the government, its senior clinicians and a range of independent experts from stakeholder groups such as the RCOG, the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) and the British Fertility Society.
Since April 2021, approximately 84,000 pregnant women have received one dose and more than 80,000 have received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. In August 2021, only 22% of women who gave birth were vaccinated. Dr Edward Morris, president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, said:
We welcome this national campaign as an important way to amplify the very clear message to pregnant women that vaccination offers the best protection for them and their babies against COVID-19. We urge all pregnant women to get vaccinated as soon as possible and to get boosted 3 months after the second dose.
We are very concerned that many pregnant women have yet to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and we hope this campaign will help reassure them that vaccination is safe and effective. Pregnant women are more likely to become seriously ill from COVID-19 infection, which can lead to an increased risk of preterm birth and stillbirth.
Gill Walton, Chief Executive and Secretary General of the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), said:
There is overwhelming evidence that the COVID vaccine is safe for pregnant women and their babies – and that it is the best way to protect them from harm. Unfortunately, there are too many pregnant women admitted to hospital with COVID, and 96.3% of them have not been vaccinated.
The consequences of COVID when you are pregnant are clear and potentially devastating, ranging from an increased possibility of premature birth and intensive care admission to an increased risk of stillbirth.
We know expectant mothers want to do everything they can to protect their baby, so midwives want to reassure them that vaccination is the best thing they can do.”
Dr Jen Jardine, of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, who is also seven months pregnant and has had her COVID-19 booster shot, said:
As a doctor and pregnant mother myself, we can now be very confident that COVID-19 vaccines offer the best possible protection for you and your unborn child against this virus.
I strongly urge all pregnant women like me, if you have not yet been vaccinated, to speak to your GP or midwife if you still have questions and then book today.”
Background information
- Latest UKHSA study on vaccines and pregnancy
- The advertising advantages
- In December, the Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunization (JCVI) advised that pregnant women of all ages be considered a clinical risk group for the COVID-19 vaccination program.
- All pregnant women in the UK have been offered the first and second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. COVID-19 booster shots are offered to all pregnant women over the age of 18, 3 months after their second dose.
- Pregnant women of any age should be considered a clinical risk group in the COVID-19 vaccination program and to support this, pregnant women have been added to priority group 6 for vaccination.
