A data-led approach to vaccine in pregnancy

Covid presents a significant risk to women and babies during pregnancy, and while the vaccine reduces this risk, Liverpool has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country.

NHS England - North West and Improving Me have worked with the Combined Intelligence for Population Health Action (CIPHA) to develop enhanced data-led solutions to identify the key factors affecting local vaccine uptake, especially during pregnancy.

A new dashboard has been introduced to improve the sharing of, and access to, data. This allowed for targeted strategies to address low uptake, and for midwives and front-line colleagues to make more of their opportunities to advise.

The use of the dashboard has helped to achieve an increased uptake in vaccination in Cheshire and Merseyside, as well as contributing to more accurate profiling of the local pregnant population to support wider health improvement efforts.

• Nearly 20% of the most critically ill COVID patients are unvaccinated pregnant women.
• 98% of all pregnant women admitted to hospital with Covid in February – September 2021 were not vaccinated.
• 10%Increase in vaccine uptake in Knowsley and Liverpool in 3 months.

This has supported targeted communications, improved resources, identify trends related to geography and other health and social factors. You can access the report summary here.