Why UK is not giving Covid shots to pregnant women

In a major shift in policy, the UK’s Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has announced withdrawal of free

Covid vaccines for pregnant women

, as part of the national vaccination programme, starting from the spring of 2025. This decision hasn’t gone down well with healthcare experts and pregnant women as the dangers of Covid-19 during pregnancy are well-known.
The perils of Covid-19 for expecting mothers and the unborn baby have been proven by research. Covid vaccines have been available to pregnant women as part of the twice-yearly booster programme so far. Studies have demonstrated that pregnant women are more vulnerable to severe complications from Covid-19 compared to those who are not pregnant.
The vaccination during pregnancy is also important as severe Covid also poses risks for the unborn baby, including miscarriage and stillbirth. While the current strains pose minimal risk, it is not completely eliminated. Vaccination not only protects the mother, but also reduces the risk of both very preterm birth and stillbirth for her baby.

Vaccination during pregnancy also protects newborns in their early months as they do not have fully developed immune systems and a first Covid infection could impact them greatly. Vaccinating pregnant women can also help their babies reap the benefit of the antibodies their mothers pass on to them, which can help them stay protected during the first few months of their life which are considered critical for their health. The antibodies passed through the placenta, and later through breastfeeding, can provide an added layer of immunity to the newborn. This can reduce the risk of severe illness if the infant were to contract Covid.

How this decision may impact pregnant women and unborn kids

UK’s decision to stop offering free Covid vaccines to expecting mothers has rightly sparked concern as the basis of this decision is their findings that there had been no deaths in pregnancy linked to Covid in the last 18 months. However, one cannot ignore positives of Covid vaccines for both pregnant women and the infants. The decision overlooks other important factors, such as miscarriage, stillbirth, and severe complications that could still arise from Covid infection.
It is also important to consider vaccine’s positive impact on infant health. While infants have a lower risk of severe illness from Covid compared to pregnant women, the risk remains significant, especially in the little ones under six months old. Studies from the US have shown that nearly all infants who were hospitalized with Covid and died from it were born to unvaccinated mothers.
It is important for pregnant women to continue taking Covid vaccines to avoid complications for themselves and their little ones.