Stockport is best in the country, for the sixth year in a row, for protecting pregnant woman against the flu virus.
Hospital and community midwives, working together with local GPs and the council’s public health team, vaccinated 65% of pregnant women in Stockport, around 2,200 women out of 3,400. This figure is 20% higher than the national average of 45%. Pregnant women are at greater risk of contracting infections because their immune system is compromised by being pregnant. They also have a higher chance of developing complications if they get flu, particularly in the later stages of pregnancy, which could include bronchitis or pneumonia.
The advice is therefore to get the flu vaccination every winter, which they can receive from the midwife team for free. Studies have shown that the flu vaccine is safe during any stage of pregnancy, from the beginning through to delivery.
Stockport has also had nationally applauded results in vaccinating other important groups, such as the over 65s, and carers. Stockport NHS Foundation Trust, which runs hospital and community NHS services in the area, was also very successful in ensuring their staff were vaccinated against flu. By the end of February, it had 12th best score in the country out of 259; 80% of staff were vaccinated, against a national average of 63%.
Julie Estcourt, Head of Midwifery at Stockport NHS Foundation Trust, said, “This is good news for the pregnant mums of Stockport. Flu is a threat for both a pregnant mother and her baby, and getting the vaccination is the best way to protect them. The vaccine doesn`t carry risks for either mum or baby. Women who have had the flu vaccine while pregnant also pass some protection on to their babies, which lasts for the first few months of their lives.”