Pregnant women face barriers in getting the coronavirus vaccine because clinics may not have the jabs known to be safest, an MP has warned.

Walthamstow MP Stella Creasy, who is currently pregnant with her second child, said she received five invitations for vaccination but could not take them up because there is way to specify she needs the Pfizer or Moderna jab.

These are preferable for pregnant women because there is more safety data available, but the online booking system in England does not allow people to specify which vaccine they require.

Pregnant women are advised to speak to their GP, but Ms Creasy, 44, said GPs do not always know when local vaccination centres will have specific types of the jab available.

Speaking to the BBC, she said: "I don't think it's been made enough of a priority because there's a presumption it will become more of a priority as they move through the age groups, which is a misreading of the data about pregnancy.

"More women in this country are pregnant over the age of 40 than under 20 so there are quite a lot of us now who qualify.

"There are also pregnant women who have serious health conditions who still can't get a vaccine because of a logistics problem."

Ms Creasy says she is working with doctors in Walthamstow to help pregnant women receive leftover Pfizer vaccines.

She said the national booking system should allow people to specify if they need a particular type of vaccine.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) announced in April that pregnant women should get the coronavirus vaccine at the same time as the rest of the population, based on their age and any underlying health conditions.

There is no evidence to suggest other vaccines are not safe for pregnant women, but more research is needed.

Data from the US shows around 90,000 pregnant women have been vaccinated, mainly with mRNA vaccines such as the Pfizer and Modern jabs, without any safety concerns being raised.

Based on this, the JCVI says it is preferable for pregnant women in the UK to be offered the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines where available.

Women are also encouraged to discuss the risks and benefits of the vaccines with their doctor.

An NHS England spokesman said: "Following the updated guidance set out by the JCVI, the NHS immediately communicated the advice to GPs.

"If you're pregnant, or think you might be, speak to your maternity team or GP surgery to discuss your vaccine appointment so that it can be arranged at a site offering the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine, which is preferable for pregnant women."

Pregnant women are more likely to have complications from Covid-19 if they do catch it.

Data shows that one in five pregnant women who become unwell with Covid needs to have her baby delivered early.