HEALTHCARE professionals are urging pregnant women, their partners, family and friends to get a COVID jab at one of four midwife led drop-in clinics across Tees Valley.
Anyone considering pregnancy, or trying for a baby, and mothers who are breastfeeding are also being encouraged to come along and have a vaccine.
The clinics, which will offer both first and second vaccinations and booster jabs, will have midwifery professionals on site to offer additional support and advice.
The mobile units will stop at the following locations for drop-ins with no appointment needed:
Monday 29th November, REDCAR, Redcar and Cleveland College, Corporation Rd, Redcar TS10 1EZ, 10am – 5pm
Wednesday 8th December, Hartlepool, Mill House Leisure Centre Car Park, Raby Rd, TS24 8AR, 9am – 4pm
Wednesday 8th December, Middlesbrough, Centre Square, outside Central Library, TS1 2AZ, 10am – 6pm
Wednesday 15th December, Middlesbrough, Newport Community Hub, St Pauls Road, TS1 5NQ, 10am-6pm
Further clinics are being planned for venues in Stockton and Darlington.
Dr Janet Walker, medical director, NHS Tees Valley Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) said: “98 per cent of pregnant ladies admitted to hospital, unwell with Covid-19, between February to September 2021, were unvaccinated. Consequences for both mum and unborn baby can be very significant when positive for covid.
“Pregnant women with COVID-19 have a higher risk of intensive care admission and are two to three times more likely to have their babies earlier than women without COVID-19, exposing their baby to the risk of prematurity.
“Those who have underlying clinical conditions, alongside being pregnant, are at even higher risk of suffering serious complications from COVID-19 and recent studies have also found that pregnant women, who tested positive for COVID-19 at the time of birth, are more likely to develop pre-eclampsia, need an emergency caesarean and had higher rates of stillbirth.”
The clinics are being supported by Hartlepool, Middlesbrough and Redcar & Cleveland Councils and midwives from North Tees & Hartlepool and South Tees NHS Foundation Trusts.
“Increasing the number of pregnant women receiving their jab is a priority for the NHS and we would urge every pregnant woman to come to one of the midwife led vaccination clinics for their jab”, added Janet. Further information on walk in clinics in Tees Valley can be found at: https://teesvalleyccg.nhs.uk/where-and-when-you-can-you-get-a-walk-in-covid-19-jab-in-tees-valley-3/