Majority of pregnant women in the UK are not vaccinated

Unvaccinated mums-to-be

Estimates based on general pratictioner records and Public Health England data suggest hundreds of thousands have not had the jab, as the number of mums-to-be in hospital with the virus rises.

Other data suggests the Delta variant increases the chance of severe disease. In the last three months, 171 pregnant women with COVID needed hospital care—but none had had both jabs.

In a letter to midwives, obstetricians and general practitioners, chief midwife for England Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent says all healthcare professionals have 'a responsibility to proactively encourage pregnant women' to get vaccinated.

She recommends advice on jabs be offered at every opportunity. Since mid-April 2021, all mothers-to-be have been offered the Pfizer or Moderna coronavirus jab in line with their age group.

'Admitted every day'

Public Health England data suggests about 51,724 pregnant women have received one COVID vaccine in England so far. Out of these, around 20,648 have had their second dose.

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

While uncommon, severe illness with COVID-19 is more likely in later pregnancy.

RUK Obstetric Surveillance data looking at pregnant women admitted to English hospitals up to July, shows:

• The proportion admitted with moderate to severe COVID has increased with the Delta variant compared to previous strains.
• In the last three months, 171 pregnant women were admitted to hospital with COVID symptoms.
• Some 98% were unvaccinated and just three had received a single dose of the vaccine.
• About one in three pregnant women in hospital with COVID-19 developed pneumonia.
• About one in seven needed intensive care.
• About one in five admitted to hospital with COVID go on to give birth prematurely and their likelihood of having a caesarean section increases.

Lead researcher Prof Marian Knight, from Oxford University, said she was very concerned about the recent rise in pregnant women in hospital with the disease—though numbers are not as high as those seen during earlier peaks in the pandemic.

She said that during the winter wave, when the Alpha variant was dominant, one in 10 pregnant women admitted to hospital with COVID symptoms required intensive care but now, with the Delta variant dominant, she said that figure was one in seven.