Pregnant women in Sussex urged to have their Covid-19 vaccination

It comes as new data has revealed that nearly 20 per cent of the most critically ill Covid patients are pregnant people who have not been vaccinated. Jenny Hughes said: “Vaccines save lives, and this is another stark reminder that the Covid-19 jab can keep you, your baby and your loved ones, safe and out of hospital. “I’d like to reassure pregnant women that the Covid-19 vaccines are considered safe at any time during pregnancy, but the risks that unvaccinated pregnant women face of becoming severely unwell if they catch Covid-19 show exactly why we advise you to get vaccinated as soon as possible.” Double-jabbed Sussex mother of two, Sarah-Jane Robertson, who gave birth to a healthy baby girl a few weeks ago, said: “I can understand why some people who are pregnant are perhaps reluctant to get jabbed, as this is how I felt right at the beginning of my pregnancy, mainly due to lots of misinformation I was hearing and reading at the time. “However, it wasn’t until I went away and did my own research, spoke to my doctor and a friend abroad, who is a specialist in this field and told me I was insane not to get the jab, that I began to change my mind. “What really pushed me to signing up for my vaccination was when a pupil at a school I teach at had both parents catch the Delta variant and were in ICU for over a month. I remember thinking at that time that I have a three-year-old and the reality of how severe this virus was and how it affected the young children in this family, really hit home.” Sarah went onto having both her Covid-19 vaccinations and other than experiencing a sore arm for a short period, she reported feeling absolutely fine. “Having the vaccines also helped my mental health as I felt more confident to go out and do things I would have avoided had I not had them,” she said. Reflecting on the arrival of her baby girl, Sarah said: “She is perfect and displays no sign of harm from me getting double jabbed. Since July, one in five Covid patients receiving treatment through a special lung-bypass machine were those who were expecting who have not had their first jab. They have been treated with a therapy, called Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO), used only when a patient’s lungs are so damaged by Covid that a ventilator cannot maintain oxygen levels. People are encouraged to speak to their GP or midwife if they have questions about getting the jab. The rules on getting a flu jab if you have cold or Covid symptoms