A new partnership will give pregnant women in the UK urgent support amid high rates of vaccine hesitancy and hospitalisations.
Pregnant Then Screwed, a charity which campaigns for the rights of pregnant women and mothers, is working with independent fact checkers at Full Fact to tackle bad information and misleading claims about the Covid vaccines.
Pregnant women and their families will be now be able to request fact checks directly from Full Fact, using a new WhatsApp service. Anyone who has any questions or concerns regarding Covid-19 and pregnancy can send a message, image, video or voice note to +44 7521 770995 and will receive a response within 24 hours.
91% of pregnant women say they are scared for their safety as UK unlocks according to Pregnant Then Screwed research - 47% of pregnant women also report that they have received conflicting advice from health professionals about the vaccine. 99% of pregnant women admitted to hospital with Covid-19 have not been vaccinated.
Throughout the pandemic, Full Fact has worked to challenge Covid-19 misinformation, including fears that vaccines impact fertility, or can alter people’s DNA. Claire Milne, deputy editor at Full Fact, said: 'We all deserve information we can trust, especially when making important decisions about our health. We’ve seen first hand how bad information has put lives at risk since the pandemic began.
'It’s not right that so many pregnant women are scared for their safety this summer. Our WhatsApp helpline will mean more people can get the information they need, when they need it, so they can make informed choices.'
Joeli Brearley, founder and CEO of Pregnant Then Screwed, added: 'Pregnant women are desperate for factual information about the benefits and the risks of the covid vaccine so they can make an informed choice. Sadly, our research has shown that misinformation has spread like wildfire, and many pregnant women are being given conflicting advice by health professionals.'
'Our partnership with Full Fact will work to address these concerns, putting facts back into the hands of pregnant women. I am confident that our partnership will improve the mental and physical health of pregnant women.'
The Pregnant Then Screwed and Full Fact partnership is supported by a grant from the International Fact Checking Network with financial support from WhatsApp.
An expert answers the most common questions about pregnancy and the covid vaccine.
Common questions already answered by Full Fact include...
There is no evidence that Covid vaccines are causing miscarriages
There is no scientific reason the vaccine might be expected to affect pregnancy. Studies observing pregnant women who have been vaccinated have found people are not more likely to suffer a miscarriage if they have had the Covid-19 vaccine. But we do know from several studies that severe Covid illness is more likely for women who are pregnant than those who aren’t, especially for those in the third trimester.
False claims circulating about a supposed link between vaccines and miscarriage are often based on incorrect calculations, or misreading of the Yellow Card reporting scheme.
There is no evidence that Covid vaccines affect fertility
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) which is the professional association of pregnancy, childbirth, and women's reproductive and sexual health says that there is 'no evidence' to suggest that the Covid-19 vaccines affect fertility. Similar statements have been issued by the British Fertility Association, the NHS and Public Health England.
The RCOG also states that there is no biologically plausible mechanism by which the vaccine would cause fertility problems.
The RCOG and the British Fertility Association recommend that women eligible for the vaccine and who are pregnant, or planning to conceive in the near or distant future, get the Covid-19 vaccine.
Anyone can use the helpline by messaging +44 7521 770995 via WhatsApp.
READ MORE: Alicia Kearns MP: 'Pregnant Women, Please, Please Get Your COVID-19 Vaccination'