COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy

Key messages

From the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG)

• COVID-19 vaccines are recommended in pregnancy. Vaccination is the best way to protect against the known risks of COVID-19 in pregnancy for both women and babies, including admission of the woman to intensive care and premature birth of the baby.
• Women may wish to discuss the benefits and risks of having the vaccine with their healthcare professional and reach a joint decision based on individual circumstances. However, as for the non-pregnant population, pregnant women can receive a COVID-19 vaccine even if they have not had a discussion with a healthcare professional.
• You should not stop breastfeeding in order to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
• Women trying to become pregnant do not need to avoid pregnancy after vaccination and there is no evidence to suggest that COVID-19 vaccines will affect fertility.
• Having a COVID-19 vaccine will not remove the requirement for employers to carry out a risk assessment for pregnant employees, which should follow the rules set out in this government guidance.

Get vaccinated

• Book or manage your COVID-19 vaccination (nhs.uk)
• Vaccination sites in North West London
• Vaccination sites in Hounslow

Key stats

From the UK Obstetric Surveillance System (UKOSS) and RCOG

• Data shows that the number of pregnant people admitted to hospitals in England up to July 2021 with moderate to severe COVID-19 has increased since the emergence of the delta variant
• In the three months to 30 July, 171 pregnant people were admitted to hospital with COVID-19 symptoms of which 98% were unvaccinated and three had received a single dose of vaccine
• Approximately one in fie admitted to hospital with COVID-19 gave birth prematurely and their likelihood of having a Caesarean section also rose
• Data from the US, where more than 130,000 people have had the vaccine in pregnancy, raises no safety concerns
• It's estimated that hundreds of thousands of pregnant people in the UK are not vaccinated

Further information

• Information to help you make a decision about vaccination (RCOG PDF)
• Information about the COVID-19 vaccine programme (gov.uk)
• Information about COVID-19 in pregnancy including FAQs (RCOG)
• Trust COVID-19 information sheet (PDF)
• Information about COVID-19 vaccines, including pregnancy/fertility information and general vaccine videos in multiple languages (NHS England)