Pregnant women SHOULD get Covid vaccines: No10's jab advisory panel changes guidance

Pregnant women in Britain should be offered Pfizer or Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine, UK medical bosses concluded today.

Number 10’s vaccine advisory panel said real-world data from the rollout in the US had shown the two American jabs were safe in expectant mothers.

The vaccines were also deemed safe for women trying for a baby or new mothers who are breastfeeding.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is now encouraging all pregnant women in Britain come forward for a jab at the same time as their peers.

Previous guidance said they should not be offered any Covid vaccine because no mothers-to-be were included in clinical trials. 

But there has never been any indication that the jabs would not be safe, which is why health chiefs in the US pressed ahead anyway.

The JCVI reviewed data from 90,000 pregnant American women given either Pifzer or Moderna’s jab to come to its conclusion.

It insisted there was no evidence to suggest AstraZeneca’s vaccine would not be safe, but said there was too little research.  

Expectant mothers are are at a greater risk of severe illness or death if they become infected with Covid compared to non-pregnant women of the same age. 

There are around 850,000 pregnancies per year in England and Wales, suggesting 630,000 women are carrying a child at any one time. 

Pregnant women in Britain will be offered Pfizer or Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine (file)

Number 10’s vaccine advisory panel said real-world data from the rollout in the US had shown the two American jabs were safe in expectant mothers

When vaccines for coronavirus first started to be rolled out, the World Health Organization warned that they should should not be used on pregnant women due to lack of evidence about the safety and efficacy. 

Later, the body walked back its advice and said vaccines can be administered in expectant mothers safely after more data emerged and it became clear that pregnant women were more likely to fall very ill with Covid than their peers.

 Professor Wei Shen Lim, chair of the JCVI, said: ‘We encourage pregnant women to discuss the risks and benefits with their clinician – those at increased risk of severe outcomes from Covid are encouraged to promptly take up the offer of vaccination when offered.

‘There have been no specific safety concerns from any brand of Covid vaccines in relation to pregnancy.

‘There are more real-world safety data from the US in relation to the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines in women who are pregnant – therefore, we advise a preference for these to be offered to pregnant women.’

Dr Mary Ramsay, Head of Immunisation at Public Health England (PHE), added: ‘The available data on the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines provide confidence that they can be offered safely to pregnant women.

‘The Covid vaccines continue to save thousands of lives and it is important that we encourage as many people as possible to take up the offer when it is their turn.’

Top UK doctors praised the move from the JCVI, claiming it would ’empower’ pregnant women. 

Dr Edward Morris, President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), said: ‘We are grateful to the JCVI for taking into consideration our evidence and updating the guidance around the COVID-19 vaccine in pregnancy.

‘Vaccination offers pregnant women the best protection from COVID-19, which can be serious in some women.

‘We believe it should be a woman’s choice whether to have the vaccine or not after considering the benefits and risks and would encourage pregnant women to discuss with a trusted source like their GP, obstetrician or midwife, or a healthcare professional in a vaccination centre.

‘This move will empower all the pregnant women in the UK to make the decision that is right for them, at the same time that the non-pregnant population in their age group receive protection from COVID-19.’