Keeping pregnant women and children Safe and well:
Continue with routine vaccinations during COVID-19
Keeping pregnant women and children safe and well: Continue with routine vaccinations during COVID-19
Coventry’s health and care partners are encouraging residents to help defend and shield the NHS by avoiding an increase in serious preventable diseases that could tip the balance and overwhelm our nurses and doctors.
This follows a national fall in vaccination numbers since the coronavirus pandemic. Health professionals across the region are eager to continue immunisations during this pandemic to protect residents and they want to re-assure people that they have the necessary precautions in place to minimise risk and keep women and families safe from COVID-19.
Preventing the spread of COVID-19 and caring for those infected is a national priority but maintaining the national immunisation programme helps successfully protect pregnant women, children, and older vulnerable adults against serious preventable diseases such as pneumococcal infections and measles.
Councillor Kamran Caan, Coventry City Council’s portfolio holder for Public Health and Sport said:
“Immunisations have never been more important than during these challenging times. It is the most effective way of stopping the spread of infectious disease, saving lives and promoting good health. We need to ensure good vaccination uptake in Coventry to avoid a resurgence of any vaccine-preventable diseases which could have a devastating impact on children and vulnerable groups and would put significant pressure on the overstretched NHS.
“It’s vital that everyone eligible gets vaccinated and we want to remind our communities that NHS primary care services, including A&E departments and GP practices are still ‘open for business’. Pregnant women, infants and children must not cancel or delay their vaccination appointments and have all their scheduled vaccinations during the COVID-19 crisis.”
"We are continuing to work closely with our partners and taking a One Coventry approach to raising awareness of the importance of keeping up to date with immunisations across Coventry.”
For parents who are worried that their children may be displaying symptoms of coronavirus, it is important that they seek medical advice if they have any concerns. Health officials are keen to reassure families that services are still open, safe and available to help.
Coventry Sarah Raistrick, GP and Chair for NHS Coventry & Rugby Clinical Commissioning Group said:
“If you are concerned that your child, of any age, has the symptoms of coronavirus – a new continuous cough or a high temperature – the loss of smell and taste, the advice is the same and you still should not delay in seeking medical advice if worried. We want to remind parents that the out of hours services and children’s A&E department at University Hospital Coventry & Warwickshire NHS Trust are also working and parents must not delay seeking help when worried as this could put their child’s health at a risk. Serious illness, such as a severe asthma attack, pneumonia, appendicitis, meningitis or sepsis need to be picked up and dealt with early to prevent complications.”
Coventry and Warwickshire health and care partners are working closely together, as part of an agreement between council’s and CCGs, to plan for improving rates of immunisation uptake to ensure those at risk are protected against infectious diseases. As part of those measures a consultation period with parents, carers and older people, as well as professionals including GP practices and health visitors will be undertaken to find out more about the barriers to getting vaccinated.
If a pregnant woman, child or family member has COVID-19 symptoms or is self-isolating because someone in the household is displaying symptoms, they should contact their GP practice for advice and can view the vaccine schedule to check they are up to date.
Pregnant women and young families can contact their GP, midwife or health visitor if they have any concern. Alternatively, they can text a health visitor anytime on CHAT Health: 07507329114, FB @coventryhealthvisiting