Corona in Great Britain: London calls on pregnant women to vaccinate

So far, many pregnant women in Great Britain have been skeptical about a vaccination against the coronavirus. But that is about to change: The government strongly advises vaccination – based on a new study.

The delta variant is widespread in Great Britain. That is why the British health authorities have asked all pregnant women to get vaccinated against the coronavirus. The senior midwife of the health service in England, Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent, published a corresponding open letter to pregnant women, general practitioners and obstetricians.

She pointed to a new study that found that unvaccinated pregnant women had increased their risk of serious illness since the Delta variant became rampant in the country. The vaccine could protect pregnant women from having to go to hospital, explained Dunkley-Bent. He could save the lives of mother and child.

The proportion of pregnant women has increased

According to a new study from the University of Oxford, the proportion of pregnant women hospitalized with moderate to severe infection has increased “significantly” since the Delta variant appeared in May. 99 percent of them were therefore not vaccinated, and one in ten had to be treated in intensive care.

“It is very good news that so few vaccinated pregnant women with Covid-19 have been hospitalized,” said Marian Knight, head of the study published online last week. “But it is very worrying that the hospital admissions of pregnant women with Covid-19 are increasing and that they seem to be more affected by the Delta variant.”

Babies in the stomach also benefit

The authorities in England have been recommending pregnant women to get vaccines from BioNTech / Pfizer or Moderna since April. But many women refuse a vaccination because they say they fear harming the baby or because they are waiting for more information.

Expectant mothers could be “reassured”, assured the study director. The corona vaccine is safe. The babies in the mothers’ wombs also benefit from it, because the antibodies are also passed on to them.