SOUTH Cumbria and Lancashire’s leading obstetrician is urging pregnant women to get vaccinated after it was revealed the majority of mums-to-be who were hospitalised with Covid had not had the jab.

National figures have revealed that no pregnant women with both doses of the vaccine had been admitted to hospital. And since May, just three women had been admitted after having their first vaccine.

In contrast, almost all (98%) pregnant women admitted to hospital with Covid-19 had not been jabbed.

Rineke Schram, FRCOG, lead obstetrician at Lancashire and South Cumbria Maternity and Newborn Alliance and Deputy Clinical Lead Maternity North West Coast Clinical Network, said: “Every day we are seeing very sick pregnant women with Covid-19 in hospital and the vast majority are unvaccinated.

“If you have Covid-19 in pregnancy, you are twice as likely to have a stillbirth, and it is twice as likely that your baby will be born prematurely, which can affect their long-term health.

“I want to reassure pregnant women that Covid-19 vaccines are the safest and best way to protect you and your baby from severe illness and premature birth.

“Hundreds of thousands of pregnant women worldwide have been vaccinated safely and effectively, protecting themselves against Covid and dramatically reducing their risk of serious illness or harm to their baby.

“It’s so important for pregnant women to get their jab, particularly with the virus being so prevalent and the Delta variant proving itself to be so much more transmissible.

“If you have questions, talk to your midwife, talk to your obstetrician, talk to your GP. Get the answers you need and get the jab.”

Since April, pregnant women have been offered the jab in line with their age cohort, and health leaders are calling on more young adults to come forward and close the uptake gap.

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) and the Royal College of Midwives have both recommended vaccination as one of the best defences for pregnant women against severe Covid-19 infection, while the independent JCVI confirms the jab has been shown to be effective and safe for women carrying a baby.

The data has also revealed that one in five women admitted to hospital with serious Covid symptoms went on to give birth prematurely.

and the likelihood of delivery by Caesarean section doubled.

One in five babies born to mothers with Covid symptoms were also admitted to neonatal units.