But Scottish Labour’s health spokeswoman Jackie Baillie branded the decision as “inhumane”. She said: “It is heartbreaking for those couples to have infertility treatment cancelled at the last minute. “Of course I would encourage everyone to get vaccinated as the best protection against the virus but the rules were confusing at the start and treating these women in this way is inhumane.

       “The Scottish Government should rethink their position urgently.”

       Jemma McDonald, 25, had been hoping to start IVF treatment with her partner Hayden Brown.

       Ms McDonald from Govan in Glasgow told the Daily Record: “At the start the Government said we shouldn’t get the vaccinations.

       “I just feel personally there is not enough evidence about what could potentially happen to a baby in three or four years time.

       “I still haven’t had the opportunity to discuss that with anyone.

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       “Going through IVF is hard enough without just beginning to see the finishing line and then being thrown back to the start again.”

       The latest evidence from the UK Obstetric Surveillance System (UKOSS) and the Mothers and Babies: Reducing Risk through Audits and Confidential Enquiries across the UK (MBRRACE-UK) revealed that unvaccinated pregnant women and their babies have died after admission to hospital with COVID-19 and 98 percent of pregnant women in ICU with coronavirus are unvaccinated.

       Figures show of women who have died during pregnancy or up to six weeks after birth, 88 percent of them were unvaccinated.

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       The decision will be reviewed next month and older unvaccinated women have been told they will not miss out on treatment if they pass the age limit while waiting for treatment to resume.

       The SNP brought in the new rules after a report in October found of 89 percent of pregnant Covid patients admitted to critical care units in Scotland, 88 percent were unvaccinated.

       A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Due to the rising number of Covid-19 cases, and concerns about the impact on unvaccinated women, ministers have taken a decision to temporarily defer fertility treatment forwomen who are not fully vaccinated.

       “We continue to review the evidence and will look to review this decision early this year.”