Expectant mums are being urged to get the Covid-19 vaccine by Buckinghamshire Healthcare Trust's top midwife.

The call comes as new data shows the majority of pregnant women hospitalised with the virus have not had a jab.

Since May nationally, only three women had been admitted after having their first vaccine. In contrast, almost all (98 per cent) pregnant women admitted to hospital with Covid-19 had not been jabbed.

Heidi Beddall, Head of Midwifery for the Trust, said: “Covid-19 can be serious for pregnant women. Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect you and your baby.

"Whether you are pregnant, think you might be, or are trying for a baby you can speak to your midwife, obstetrician or GP to get more information and advice about the vaccine.

"Even if you have previously declined the vaccine, you can still book an appointment to get your jab.”

Since April, pregnant women have been offered the jab in line with their age cohort, and health leaders are calling on more younger adults to come forward and close the uptake gap.

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) and the Royal College of Midwives have both recommended vaccination as one of the best defences for pregnant women against severe Covid-19 infection, while the independent JCVI confirms the jab has been shown to be effective and safe for women carrying a baby.

Whilst broadly in line with the current rise in hospital admissions due to coronavirus, the new data, collated by the UK Obstetric Surveillance System (UKOSS), shows the number of pregnant women being admitted to hospital with Covid-19 is increasing and many needing care are experiencing acute symptoms.

In the last three months alone, one in three pregnant women in hospital with Covid-19 in England required additional respiratory support (33 per cent), with more than a third developing pneumonia (37 per cent), and around one in seven needing intensive care (15 per cent).

The data also shows that one in five women admitted to hospital with serious Covid symptoms went on to give birth prematurely, and the likelihood of delivery by caesarean section doubled.

One in five babies born to mothers with Covid symptoms were also admitted to neonatal units.

Professor Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent, Chief Midwifery Officer for England, 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."