Pregnant women trying to access their coronavirus vaccines have faced confusion, delays and wasted trips, according to the charity Maternity Action.
Now, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) and the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) have also expressed their concern.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advises that it is “preferable” for pregnant women in the UK to be offered the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines where available. But the online booking system has not given pregnant women the option to specify what vaccine they want.
It means some are visiting vaccine centres, only to have to turn around at the door, with no idea when they’ll actually get vaccinated.
The NHS has now said the online booking will be updated to allow pregnant women to select their vaccine, according to some reports. HuffPost UK has contacted the NHS to confirm this.
“The NHS online booking system in England is letting down pregnant women, causing understandable anxiety and frustration,” Mary Ross-Davie, Director of Professional Midwifery at the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), said.
“The speed of the rollout for the vaccine has been world-leading, but it needs the systems in place to keep pace. It’s distressing to hear of pregnant women being unable to access a vaccine centre that carries either the Pfizer BioNtech or Moderna vaccine. That is not acceptable.”
The statement comes as the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Authority (MHRA) advises that all people under 40 should be offered an alternative to the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine.
“Following the latest announcement today, we urge government and the NHS to ensure there is a system in place that enables pregnant women – including those over the age of 40 who have already been invited to book their vaccine – to easily access alternative vaccines,” Dr Pat O’Brien, vice president at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, added.
“The latest government guidance for pregnant women is to contact their GP for advice on how to receive the appropriate vaccine. However GP practices are reporting that they don’t have the ability to do this, leaving pregnant women feeling frustrated and helpless as they are passed from pillar to post.”
Ros Bragg, director of Maternity Action, said she was not surprised that pregnant women have found it difficult to access the preferred Covid-19 vaccine, given the needs of pregnant women and new mothers have been “woefully low on the government’s priority list” throughout the pandemic.
Meanwhile, Mumsnet founder Justine Roberts said it feels like “yet another system that just doesn’t take women into account”.
In response to the latest statements, an NHS spokesperson said: “Following the updated guidance set out by the JCVI, the NHS immediately communicated the advice to GPs.
“If you’re pregnant, or think you might be, speak to your maternity team or GP surgery to discuss your vaccine appointment so that it can be arranged at a site offering the Pfizer/BioNTech or the Moderna vaccine, which is preferable for pregnant women.”
HuffPost UK has contacted the NHS to clarify if the booking system will be updated for pregnant women and will update this article with a response.
Now, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) and the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) have also expressed their concern.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advises that it is “preferable” for pregnant women in the UK to be offered the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines where available. But the online booking system has not given pregnant women the option to specify what vaccine they want.
It means some are visiting vaccine centres, only to have to turn around at the door, with no idea when they’ll actually get vaccinated.
The NHS has now said the online booking will be updated to allow pregnant women to select their vaccine, according to some reports. HuffPost UK has contacted the NHS to confirm this.
“The NHS online booking system in England is letting down pregnant women, causing understandable anxiety and frustration,” Mary Ross-Davie, Director of Professional Midwifery at the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), said.
“The speed of the rollout for the vaccine has been world-leading, but it needs the systems in place to keep pace. It’s distressing to hear of pregnant women being unable to access a vaccine centre that carries either the Pfizer BioNtech or Moderna vaccine. That is not acceptable.”
The statement comes as the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Authority (MHRA) advises that all people under 40 should be offered an alternative to the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine.
“Following the latest announcement today, we urge government and the NHS to ensure there is a system in place that enables pregnant women – including those over the age of 40 who have already been invited to book their vaccine – to easily access alternative vaccines,” Dr Pat O’Brien, vice president at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, added.
“The latest government guidance for pregnant women is to contact their GP for advice on how to receive the appropriate vaccine. However GP practices are reporting that they don’t have the ability to do this, leaving pregnant women feeling frustrated and helpless as they are passed from pillar to post.”
Ros Bragg, director of Maternity Action, said she was not surprised that pregnant women have found it difficult to access the preferred Covid-19 vaccine, given the needs of pregnant women and new mothers have been “woefully low on the government’s priority list” throughout the pandemic.
Meanwhile, Mumsnet founder Justine Roberts said it feels like “yet another system that just doesn’t take women into account”.
In response to the latest statements, an NHS spokesperson said: “Following the updated guidance set out by the JCVI, the NHS immediately communicated the advice to GPs.
“If you’re pregnant, or think you might be, speak to your maternity team or GP surgery to discuss your vaccine appointment so that it can be arranged at a site offering the Pfizer/BioNTech or the Moderna vaccine, which is preferable for pregnant women.”
HuffPost UK has contacted the NHS to clarify if the booking system will be updated for pregnant women and will update this article with a response.
