FSRH supports calls for pregnant women to get COVID-19 vaccination

All women should have access to high quality sexual and reproductive healthcare (SRH) – as part of their wider healthcare and wellbeing needs – at every stage of their lives, including pregnancy.

Data recently published by NHS England and the University of Oxford shows that pregnant women are more likely to become seriously ill from COVID-19, and that 98% of pregnant women hospitalised due to COVID-19 are unvaccinated.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a great deal of uncertainty for many pregnant women, and it is important they are supported to make informed decisions about the most effective ways of protecting themselves, their pregnancies and loved ones.

We support calls from the Chief Midwifery Officer for England Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent, and professional bodies across the medical community, encouraging pregnant women to get vaccinated – with this being the best way to safely and effectively protect against the virus.

We also welcome the announcement this week of the new Government-funded Preg-CoV study investigating the COVID-19 vaccine dose interval for pregnant women, which will provide important data in this area.

Every contact counts, and pregnant women should be encouraged to get the COVID vaccine when attending their SRH consultations. It is also vital that healthcare professionals feel comfortable and confident in sharing this information.

For more information on pregnancy and COVID-19, including resources focused on the COVID-19 vaccination, visit the below:

• The RCOG/RCM decision aid for pregnant women offered a COVID vaccination
• The RCOG has developed a range of information for healthcare professionals and pregnant women eligible for COVID-19 vaccination and pregnancy
• Public Health England and the NHS have produced new posters for use in all healthcare settings on the importance of COVID-19 vaccines for pregnant women