Maternal vaccination service provision in London and Liverpool: Organisation, recording of vaccinations and midwife training
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: • Maternal vaccination services vary considerably, with isolated pockets of effective practice • Midwives face barriers due to limited training and fragmented vaccination recording • Integrated records and protected training time could strengthen vaccine uptake during pregnancy Recommended vaccinations during pregnancy are safe and can prevent serious illness in both pregnant women and newborns. Despite this, uptake remains low in England. We explored maternal vaccination services at selected maternity sites in London and Liverpool, focusing on service delivery, vaccination recording, and midwife training. Services included walk-in vaccination clinics, nurse-led rather than midwife-led vaccination, telephone and text Yreminders with links to online vaccination booking, multilingual leaflets, posters and digital apps with vaccine information links. However, practical barriers persist. These include poor integration between maternity and primary care data systems for recording vaccinations, limited and inconsistent midwife training, and logistical constraints on vaccine administration. Midwives reported difficulties accessing electronic vaccine records, and vaccination discussions with patients were often absent, particularly in group models of antenatal care. System-level improvements such as integrated data access, protected training time, clear documentation protocols, and tailored outreach are needed to strengthen maternal vaccination services.
Source: Future Healthcare Journal
Language: English
Subfield: Health
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,000
OpenAlex ID: W4416987395