Pregnant women and new mums who received their Covid-19 jabs at a new vaccination hub which opened near Walsall Manor Hospital’s antenatal clinic have urged others to protect themselves, their babies and their families.

Among those who had their first jabs at the hub was Jessica Robbins, who delivered baby Grace on 7 July, and Jodie Osbourne, who is pregnant. Their partners, who accompanied them, had both been double jabbed.

The vaccination hub for mums-to-be, postnatal women and their partners, is open from Monday to Friday from 8am-6pm and on Saturday from 8am-4pm.

Mum-of-three Jessica, 31, said: “I would say to people ‘just get it done’ because doctors and people who have worked on the vaccine know more than us. I had to take Grace to hospital to have a scan on her hip and so we decided to have the jab there and then.

“When I was pregnant, I asked the midwife and the consultant when could I have the jab and they advised me to wait until after the baby was born and I was fine with that. When I had Grace, the advice had changed but as I’d decided to have it after she was born, I kept to that.”

Jodie, 24, who has a 19-month-old daughter, said: “I was advised by the midwife to have the vaccine to protect my unborn baby. My health hasn’t been the best throughout lockdown so I’ve tried to stay safe during my pregnancy, and having the vaccine has brought me peace of mind that I’m being more protected. My mum works in a care home so I wanted to have it to help keep her safe as well.”

Other pregnant mums who have received the jab before the hub opened or are now considering it also believe having the vaccine is right.

Jess Winter, 40,  has contracted Covid-19 twice. The mum-of-one, who is a Senior Residential Children’s Care Worker, didn’t want to risk getting the virus again while carrying her baby. Her husband is a delivery driver who has been double jabbed and she said: “I’ve had Covid twice and although it wasn’t severe, it was bad enough and I didn’t want to risk it again now I’m pregnant. It’s very much a personal choice but I wanted to protect myself to protect my child.”

Mum-of-two Emily Evans, 25, was initially sceptical about having the vaccine. She caught Covid during her pregnancy and now feels reassured to have the jab.

“What scared me was people saying they felt bad after having the injection,” she said. “I didn’t want to feel bad at the same time as being pregnant. I kept being sick and thought it was pregnancy symptoms but then I lost my sense of taste and smell and felt totally drained. As it’s safe and there’s an option to have the vaccine, I will have it.”

Clinical Pharmacist at the hub Ahmed Awale says education has been key.

“We are not just here for the vaccination but also to offer people advice and to reassure them because sometimes people want reassurance before they have the jab,” said Ahmed, who has been in the role for nearly 10 years. “There have been cases where we have talked to people who had been given mis-information.”

Having the Covid-19 vaccine doesn’t give people the virus and it cannot be passed on to the baby through breast milk.