PREGNANT women are set to be offered the Covid-19 vaccine in line with the UK wide roll-out. 

The move comes after the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists RCOG presented evidence to the Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) on the impact Covid-19 for pregnant women. 

This has led to the JCVI to recommend offering vaccinations to all pregnant women in line with the priority groups which they hope will enable them to make an individual decision based on benefits and risks.

Previously, pregnant women had only been offered the jag if their risk to exposure of the virus was high such as health and social care workersor if the woman has underlying health condition that places her at higher risk of complications.

Clinical trials for testing the vaccine on pregnant women are set to get underway, but data from the US - where 90,000 pregnant women have received the Pfizer and Moderna jags have not raised any safety concerns.

Professor Lucy Chappell, consultant obstetrician and COVID-19 vaccine lead for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said:  “This announcement from the JCVI brings the UK into line with the US and other countries who have been offering the COVID-19 vaccine to pregnant women since December, and should provide reassurance to pregnant women, as well as those planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding, that vaccination is an option for them.  

“We are continuing to work with healthcare professionals so they are able to counsel pregnant women on the risks and benefits of having the COVID-19 vaccine based on their individual circumstances. 

“We are also advocating for more data collection of pregnant women receiving the vaccine in the UK, and welcome the work that is going on to ensure that there is recording of pregnancy status in the national vaccination programme to enable linkage to outcomes.”