Health care staff across the UK were prioritized to receive the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as it became available in December 2020. Most healthcare staff, including maternity staff, have taken up the vaccine to protect themselves and their families from the increased risk of contracting the virus through their work.
The RCM encourages our members to take up the vaccine as the best way to protect themselves, along with continued infection and prevention and control measures, including PPE.
Midwives and maternity support workers are more likely than many health and social care workers to be exposed to unvaccinated people, as we care for younger members of the population and a lower proportion of the pregnant population are likely to take up vaccination than the general population.
We know that some members may feel hesitant about taking up the vaccine. We would encourage members to access high quality evidence based information about the vaccine to ensure that they make an informed decision based on the best available evidence.
The Royal College of GPs also has a range of really helpful resources about the COVID-19 vaccine, including webinars at the COVID-19 resource hub: https://elearning.rcgp.org.uk/course/view.php?id=373%20
The UKTIS BUMPS information (Best use of medicines in pregnancy)
Watch the RCM’s film for maternity professionals here: