Coronavirus: Vaccination

(asked on 30th November 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to encourage uptake of the covid-19 vaccine among pregnant women.


Answered by
Maggie Throup Portrait
Maggie Throup
This question was answered on 13th December 2021

Vaccine toolkits for local services, stakeholders, partners and employers include guidance on the concerns of pregnant women. We have shared case stories of women of childbearing age who have received the vaccine during or after pregnancy. NHS England and NHS Improvement’s Chief Midwifery Office and ‘media medics’ have made appearances on media to reassure people about concerns. At a local level we have also supported webinars and engagement sessions focused on women’s vaccines concerns and tailored to specific demographic groups. We have also introduced new communications content focused on younger age groups. This includes drawing on the support of social media sites which have a broad reach across younger women.

NHS England and NHS Improvement are working with regional teams and providers to ensure that advice on vaccination in pregnancy, including the risks and benefits of vaccination to pregnant women, is being offered antenatally and that information materials are available across antenatal and primary care settings. NHS England and NHS Improvement have asked maternity and primary care services to support all general practitioners, practice nurses, midwives and obstetricians to give objective, evidence-based advice to women on vaccination in pregnancy at every antenatal contact. For healthcare professionals, there is a checklist to aid discussions on the potential benefits and risks of COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy and to gain informed consent.

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