Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made a recent assessment of the impact of covid-19 on pregnant women; and if he will make a statement on pregnancy and the covid-19 vaccine.

There is growing evidence that if pregnant women become infected with COVID-19, they may be at increased risk of severe illness compared with non-pregnant women, particularly in the third trimester.

Vaccination in pregnancy against COVID-19 is strongly recommended. On 16 April 2021, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advised that women who are pregnant should be offered COVID-19 vaccination at the same time as non-pregnant women, based on their age and clinical risk group. All adults aged 18 years old and over, including those who are pregnant, have been offered two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. The JCVI will continue to keep their advice on pregnancy and COVID-19 vaccination under review as more evidence emerges.