Pregnant women urged to vaccinate against flu

The Royal College of Midwives is encouraging more pregnant women across Orkney to get their flu vaccine to help protect themselves and their babies this winter.

The call comes after statistics highlighted that only 42 per cent of pregnant women in Orkney received their flu vaccine last winter.

According to the Royal College of Midwives, pregnant women who contract flu are five times more likely to have a stillborn baby or for the baby to die in the first week following birth.

“Flu is a really serious illness – it is not just a bad cold,” explained Director of the Mary Ross-Davie, director of the Royal College of Midwives Scotland.

“It can have a serious impact on those expecting a baby, which is why we’re encouraging expectant mothers to get the vaccine. If you’ve been pregnant before, remember that a healthy and flu-free pregnancy last time is no guarantee that you won’t catch flu this time.

“The flu vaccine is free, it’s safe to have at any time during pregnancy, and it only takes a few minutes. To ensure you’re protected this winter, I’d encourage you to make booking your GP vaccination appointment a priority.”

For further information about the flu vaccine, you can visit www.immunisationscotland.org.uk/flu or phone NHS Inform on 0800 22 44 88.