Pregnant women urged to get flu vaccine ‘as soon as possible’
Urgent call for pregnant women to get the flu vaccine
- Leading medical bodies have issued an urgent plea for pregnant women to receive their flu vaccine due to sustained record levels of flu-related hospital admissions.
- NHS figures indicate an average of 3,140 flu patients are occupying hospital beds daily, exceeding admissions from the previous two years for the same period.
- Pregnant women are particularly susceptible to severe flu complications, with data showing they are more likely to experience adverse outcomes, and their babies face an increased risk of hospitalisation.
- The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Royal College of Midwives, and Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health emphasise the vaccine's safety and efficacy for both mother and baby.
- The flu vaccine is widely available at local pharmacies and GP practices, and healthcare professionals are urged to recommend it to pregnant women at every opportunity.