Covid-19 vaccination offered to pregnant women in Norwich

Jessica Sims combined her second Covid vaccine dose with her 12-week scan

Pregnant women are being offered a Covid vaccine at the same time as their antenatal appointments.

The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital hoped its drop-in clinic would encourage women to get the jab as they turned up for scheduled appointments.

England's chief midwife has called for the NHS to "proactively encourage" mums-to-be to get vaccinated.

While rare, severe illness with Covid-19 was more likely among pregnant women than non-pregnant women.

The hospital's consultant obstetrician Gemma Partridge said: "Pregnant women with symptomatic Covid-19 are more likely to need intensive care admission than women of the same age who are not pregnant, and are also two to three times more likely to have their babies early than women without Covid-19."

Jessica Sims decided to get her second dose when she attended the hospital for her 12-week scan.

"It's great. It's good to combine the two. If you're coming to the hospital to have your scan, you might as well pop in for your vaccination too," she said.

Since mid-April, mothers-to-be have been offered the Pfizer or Moderna coronavirus jab, with the second dose recommended eight weeks after the first.

Jessica Sims said it was good to combine the vaccine with the antenatal appointment

Public Health England data showed 51,724 pregnant women had received one Covid vaccine in England by the end of July. Of those, 20,648 had received their second dose.

This was out of approximately 606,500 pregnant women in England in 2020-21, based on estimates from GP records.

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In a letter to midwives, obstetricians and GP practices, England's chief midwife Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent recommended advice on jabs be offered at every opportunity.

"The Covid-19 jab can keep you, your baby and your loved ones, safe and out of hospital," she said.