Pregnant women struggling to get Covid vaccine, Stella Creasy says

Pregnant women are struggling to get the coronavirus vaccine because clinics are unable to guarantee they will have the right type of jab available, Labour MP Stella Creasy has said.

The Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna jabs are preferable for pregnant women because there is more safety data available.

But the online booking system in England does not allow them to specify which vaccine they require.

Pregnant women are advised to speak to their GP instead of booking online.

But Ms Creasy, 44, said GPs do not always know when local vaccination centres will have specific types of the jab available.

The MP for Walthamstow, who is currently pregnant with her second child, said she had received five invitations to be vaccinated but she could not take them up because there is no system to specify she needs the Pfizer or Moderna jab.

"I don't think it's been made enough of a priority because there's a presumption it will become more of a priority as they move through the age groups, which is a misreading of the data about pregnancy," she told the BBC.

"More women in this country are pregnant over the age of 40 than under 20 so there are quite a lot of us now who qualify.

"There are also pregnant women who have serious health conditions who still can't get a vaccine because of a logistics problem."

Ms Creasy is currently working with doctors in Walthamstow, north-east London, to arrange for pregnant women to receive leftover Pfizer vaccines.

But she said there should be a national system in place to allow people to specify if they need a particular type of vaccine when booking an appointment.

• Pregnant women should be offered Covid vaccine
• How old do I have to be to get my vaccine?
• How many people have been vaccinated so far?

Giuditta Fontana, 36, from Birmingham, has received a text inviting her to book her coronavirus vaccine but has been unable to do so yet.

She was told by her GP surgery that they were unable to book her in for a specific vaccine and was advised to call the 119 central booking service.

But she still encountered the same problem and was then told to visit her nearest vaccination centre to see what doses they had available.

Giuditta tried a mass vaccination centre nearby but was told they did not have Moderna or Pfizer vaccines available.

She said many of her friends who are pregnant have had similar experiences - and even if they have booked an appointment they do not know which vaccine they will be offered.

At 32 weeks pregnant Giuditta is now worried she will not be able to be vaccinated before she gives birth and is concerned about the risk of catching Covid-19 in hospital.

"In my case, I know that in six weeks' time, I'm going to be taken into hospital, and I'm going to have a booked C-section. And I'm going to have to spend two or three days there," she said.

"It would really make a huge difference if I was able to have at least the first dose of the vaccine before getting into hospital."

"The whole process is proving incredibly stressful, which is something that in theory, you shouldn't experience in pregnancy," she added.

• LOOK-UP TOOL: How many cases in your area?
• LOCKDOWN RULES: What are they and when will they end?
• OXFORD JAB: What is the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine?

On 16 April, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which advises UK health departments, said pregnant women should get the coronavirus vaccine at the same time as the rest of the population, based on their age and any underlying health conditions.

There is no evidence to suggest other vaccines are unsafe for pregnant women but more research is needed.

Real-world data from the US shows around 90,000 pregnant women have been vaccinated, mainly with mRNA vaccines such as the Pfizer and Modern jabs, without any safety concerns being raised.

Based on this data, the JCVI says it is preferable for pregnant women in the UK to be offered the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines where available.

They are also encouraged to discuss the risks and benefits of the vaccines with their doctor before making the appointment.

An NHS England spokesman 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 Moderna vaccine, which is preferable for pregnant women."

Although pregnant women are at no greater risk of being infected by the virus, they are more likely to have complications from Covid-19.

Data shows that one in five pregnant women who become unwell with Covid needs to have her baby delivered early.