The NHS is urging pregnant mothers to receive both COVID-19 jabs in order to reduce the risk of infection and help ensure the safety of both mother and child.
With COVID-19 still lingering across the UK, along with the rest of the world, the NHS is concerned about the large amount of unvaccinated pregnant mothers during this pandemic. The chances of infection are still high according to experts and the reports show that most of the mothers who have become ill from the virus were not fully vaccinated, either with the first or both COVID jabs.
Locally, COVID cases are decreasing with 1,843 cases in the last 7 days and a 7 day case rate of 466.2 per 100,00 over the BCP area, a small but noticeable improvement from the 2,113 cases listed and the 7 day case rate of 534.5 in the last update on 23 July. However, these numbers could change as the public are no longer required to follow COVID restrictions and more people will be coming into close contact with one another.
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) and the Royal College of Midwives both recommend that all pregnant women get vaccinated against the virus to increase the safety of themselves and their children. Despite this, 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%). This was followed by many of the pregnant women suffering from COVID, giving birth prematurely and posing increased risk to the new-born child. More information on these statistics can be found here.
The NHS are on a crusade to get jabs into the arms of those who are most vulnerable, such as those who are carrying unborn children, ensuring that they are as safe as they can be from the virus and its strains. anyone with concerns regarding the vaccine are encouraged to speak with their GP, midwife or obstetrician to get more information and advice.
You can book a vaccination appointment via the NHS website here or by calling 119 between 7am and 11pm.