Latest advice for Northamptonshire mums-to-be over Covid vaccinations

Thousands of Covid vaccinations have been carried out across Northamptonshire, but is it safe for mums-to-be to have them?

NHS teams across the county delivered 35,000 jabs in just seven days between February 22 and February 28, according to official figures released today (Thursday).

It means that 228,834 out of a target population of 584,635 got at least one dose of the life-saving vaccine by the end of February.

But with the vaccination programme progressing so well, what is the current advice for pregnant women when offered the jab?

This newspaper approached the NHS Northamptonshire CCG for the latest advice for women who are expecting, but they advised us to contact the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for more details.

MHRA is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care in the UK which is responsible for ensuring that medicines and medical devices work and are acceptably safe.

A spokesman for the MHRA offered the following information for pregnant women in Northamptonshire who may be wondering if they should have the vaccination or not.

With regards to the Oxford/AZ vaccine, they said: "There is limited data available on the use of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine in women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

"As stated in the Information for UK recipients, vaccination in pregnancy should only be considered when the potential benefits outweigh any potential risks for the mother and foetus."

And with regards to the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, they said: "As stated in the Information for UK recipients, if you are pregnant or breast-feeding, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before you receive this vaccine."

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