UK urges pregnant women to get vaccinated after data shows its safe

After the first official data from England showed that Covid-19 vaccination is safe and effective for pregnant women, health leaders in the country are urging unvaccinated women to get the jabs.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) analysed over 350,000 deliveries of vaccinated and unvaccinated women. They found that the risk of stillbirth, premature birth, and low birth weight was the same in both women, reported The Guardian.

98% of pregnant women in UK hospitals are unvaccinated, and health leaders hope that the new data will change that. Dr Mary Ramsay, the head of immunisation at UKHSA, said that every pregnant woman who is not yet vaccinated should feel confident now because it will help to prevent the serious consequences of Covid-19.

Dr June Raine, the chief executive of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, said that they want to reassure pregnant women that vaccines are safe and effective in all stages of pregnancy. The new data also shows that vaccinated women who had babies up to August 2021 had good birth outcomes. "Our rigorous safety monitoring shows that there is no increased risk of pregnancy complications, miscarriage or stillbirth," she added.

According to official data, only 22% of pregnant women who gave birth in August were vaccinated. Since July, one in five most critically ill Covid-19 patients have been unvaccinated pregnant women.

Data released by the UKHSA shows that the stillbirth rate for unvaccinated women was 3.35 per 1,000. It was 3.60 per 1,000 in unvaccinated women. The rate of low birthweight in unvaccinated and vaccinated women were 5.28% and 5.36%, respectively. In the case of premature births, the rate was 6.51% for vaccinated women and 5.99% for unvaccinated women, reported The Guardian.

Dr Nikki Kanani, a GP and deputy lead for the NHS Covid-19 vaccination programme, said the new encouraging research shows there are no significant concerns about the safety of the vaccine. "We will continue to advise midwives and clinicians to give expectant mums the information and support they need to make the right decision."