Pregnant women in England urged to get Covid jab amid rise in hospital admissions
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England’s top midwife is urging expectant mums to get the Covid-19 vaccine as soon as possible, as new data suggests a worrying rise in Covid-19 hospital admissions among unvaccinated pregnant women in the UK.
There is also evidence that the Delta variant poses a significantly greater risk to pregnant women than previous strains.
The data suggests that the overwhelming majority (98%) of 171 pregnant women hospitalised with coronavirus symptoms since mid-May had not received a Covid-19 vaccine, compared to just three women who had received a first dose, and no fully vaccinated pregnant women.
Prof Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent, chief midwifery officer for England, said: “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.”
Although pregnant women are no more likely to catch Covid-19, they are already recognised to be at slightly increased risk of becoming severely unwell, or to experience complications such as preterm birth or stillbirth if they become infected.
The new study draws on data collected by the UK Obstetric Surveillance System (UKOSS), which gathers information on severe pregnancy complications from all 194 UK hospitals with a consultant-led maternity unit.
It found that since 1 March 2020, 3,371 pregnant women have been admitted to hospital with Covid-19 symptoms – either as a precaution or because they have needed additional health support – and that the severity of their illness appears to have worsened with each successive wave of the pandemic.
