A PREGNANCY vaccination scheme has been piloted in the North West, with some clinics across the city region reported to start trials in coming weeks. 

The pilot will see pharmacy vaccination teams go into antenatal clinics across the North West as part of the Maternal Flu and Pertussis Pharmacy scheme trialled by NHS England. 

The trial will see drop-in vaccine clinics join antenatal services in hopes of improving the uptake of the flu, pertussis (whooping cough), and COVID-19 vaccines in pregnancies and improve the overall health of mums-to-be and new-borns. 

The plans for improvements also follow the "worrying" drop in flu vaccine  uptake during pregnancy, as overall uptake from pregnant women in the North West has fallen 11 per cent since 2019. 

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The scheme also hopes to make maternal vaccines more convenient to expecting mums and replace the need to arrange a seperate appointment. 

Tricia Spedding, Head of Public Health for NHS England North West, said: "This pilot is really exciting, and I’m glad that the women of the North West are the first to experience the convenience of it.

"Mums-to-be can often end up attending so many appointments during their pregnancy, so being able to get all three vaccines at one appointment, at a time to suit you, whilst attending the antenatal clinic is a great way to make things easier.

"The pharmacists will be able to deliver any combination of the three vaccines, and your midwife is there to advise you on the benefits of them.

"Flu, whooping cough and COVID-19 are unpleasant in any case, but can be dangerous for pregnant women and their babies, so having the vaccines as soon as possible is so important."

The maternal vaccination pilot will be running across the autumn and winter in NHS trusts across Merseyside. 

Six clinics across the North West have started running the pilot, with further trusts to begin trials in the coming weeks.