Edinburgh university find 98% of pregnant women admitted to ICU were unvaccinated in new study published today.
The paper looked into Covid-19 linked complications during pregnancy and found that admission to hospital and critical care were also significantly more common in pregnant women with Covid who hadn't had the jab when diagnosed.
Women who have Covid-19 towards the end of their pregnancy are vulnerable to birth-related complications and are more likely to have complications than those who get the virus in the earlier stages of pregnancy.
98 per cent of women with Covid-19 during pregnancy who were admitted to critical care were unvaccinated.
Earlier this month the Department of Health launched a new campaign urging pregnant women to get the jab as soon as possible.
The new campaign urges pregnant women ‘don’t wait to take the vaccine’ and highlights the risks of COVID-19 to mother and baby, and the benefits of vaccination.
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Dr Sarah Stock, COPS co-lead from University of Edinburgh’s Usher Institute and Consultant Obstetrician said: "Our data add to the evidence that vaccination in pregnancy does not increase the risk of complications in pregnancy, but Covid-19 does.
"Covid-19 vaccination in pregnancy is crucial to protect women and babies from preventable, life-threatening complications of Covid-19."
Professor Nicola Steedman, Deputy Chief Medical Officer for Scotland added: "These findings are of concern and reinforce the importance for pregnant women or those thinking of getting pregnant of getting vaccinated as soon as possible.
"The Covid-19 vaccine is the best way to protect pregnant women and their babies against these risks and can be given at any stage during pregnancy."
