A CAMPAIGNER has called for clarity over Covid jab advice after facing difficulties because she is pregnant.

Ruth Allan, 40, from Hallbankgate, is due to give birth in October.

She got a Coronavirus shot on Tuesday thanks to the efforts of Brampton Medical Practice and reading up on updated official guidance.

She hopes to give others confidence to do the same and help stop any stress caused by a booking system oversight.

It stems from guidance changes in April when Public Health England accepted evidence from data in the United States, where 90,000 women were given vaccines such as the Moderna and Pfizer jabs, with no safety concerns raised.

This has led the UK Government's Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation to advise that "it’s preferable for pregnant women in the UK to be offered the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines where available".

It said that there was no evidence to suggest other vaccines, such as the AstraZeneca shot, were unsafe for pregnant women but added that more "research is needed".

However Ruth said that these changes did not filter through to the booking system, and as a result she was refused the vaccine when she tried to book an appointment.

Ruth, who is already mum to three-year-old Pete, said: “I booked a slot through the NHS online vaccination system and was given an appointment.

"When I spoke to the vaccination centre, they would not vaccinate me because I was pregnant, they did not have the right type of vaccine, and they could not tell me how to get it”.

“Our local NHS staff are doing amazing work at this difficult time, but there should be a national Government led system in place for people, including those who are pregnant, to specify if they need a particular type of vaccine.

"The booking system has not caught up with the changes in advice.

"Thanks to Brampton Medical Practice for helping me get access to a vaccine.”

It should be pointed out that advice, published in Public Health England’s Green Book, a clinical professional guide for vaccinators in the UK, still advises that pregnant women should discuss the risks and benefits of vaccination with their clinician, including the latest evidence on safety and which vaccines they get.

Professor Wei Shen Lim, Covid chair of the joint committee, said: "We encourage pregnant women to discuss the risks and benefits with their clinician – those at increased risk of severe outcomes from Covid are encouraged to take up the offer of vaccination when offered."

The Cumberland News contacted the NHS about the issue and a spokesman said they'll be updating the system "to allow pregnant women to get the appropriate jab".