How easy or difficult it is to get a vaccination

We talked to pregnant women about how their decision to get vaccinated was affected by how easy it is to get the vaccine. Some were offered vaccines as part of another appointment while others had to book a separate appointment.

The following information was collected from women and is comprised of their personal viewpoints about vaccination

 

Being offered a vaccine as part of another appointment

Some of the women we spoke to had been offered a vaccination there and then whilst they had been at the hospital for another appointment. This was easy and convenient, and helped encourage some pregnant women to have a vaccination when they were offered one.

if I’m up there already, I, I, I see it as like killing two birds with one stone ..... you can get it done. But that, I suppose, because I’m pro vaccine, I, I don’t need much convincing, I don’t need to talk about it or anything I’m happy .... to go ahead ..... but I think, for most people, because they’re already up there, they don’t have to make a special visit to their GP or the hospital then .
Sonia, 25-34

Having to make a separate appointment for a vaccine

Other women were not offered vaccinations at the hospital, or were offered some but not all of them, having to book to have it a different time and at a different place. This was often inconvenient and meant having to find the time for another appointment on top of work or childcare or something that they might forget. This made some less likely to have the vaccinations that they were recommended to have.

I think I had, when I was at the hospital, I had the flu one, which was quite easy. It was just the whooping cough one I had to book back in at the surgery, which, obviously, was a bit frustrating. It’s one of those.
Olivia, 25-34
I didn’t actually get my whooping cough until I was, like, 30 weeks, because I wasn’t actually offered it. They told me to get it, but the only way I could get it was through the doctor. And then to book an appointment, you know, sitting on the phone at eight o’clock in the morning with everybody else was just, no. So you’d think that that would be, that they’d be able to book you in for that.
Matilda, 25-34

Safety and effectiveness of vaccinations

We spoke to pregnant women about their feelings around the safety and effectiveness of vaccines. The following information was collected from women and is comprised...

Alternatives to vaccination

We talked to pregnant women about alternatives to vaccination. Some felt that there were other steps that they could take to stay protected from illness,...