COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and coverage among pregnant persons in the United States

Regan, Annette K.; Kaur, Ravneet; Nosek, Marcianna; Swathi, Pallavi Aytha; Gu, Nong

doi:10.1016/j.pmedr.2022.101977

Cited by 18 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…Pregnant women are considered a high-risk population for severe COVID-19 and various pregnancy complications [12][13][14][15]. Despite the growing evidence on the safety and effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine in pregnancy, and recommendations from scientific societies and international public health institutions [5,16], coverage of the COVID-19 vaccination is still lower among pregnant women compared to the general population [17,18], and vaccine hesitancy is widespread among this population subgroup [19][20][21][22].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…People who lack adequate knowledge about the disease, its transmission, and the vaccine development and approval process are less likely to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, while misinformation, rumors, and fear of adverse events can also fuel hesitancy [19,[32][33][34]. As proof of that, Regan et al reported that most pregnant women who received or planned to receive the COVID-19 vaccine believed that it was safe, that its advantages outweighed its risks, and that it would protect them from the disease [17]. In agreement with the existing literature, our results showed a high degree of knowledge (91% of the survey respondents) and a low-to-medium degree of pre-vaccinal doubt (low in 41% and medium in 48%) among women who had just received the vaccine, with a higher prevalence of a low degree of doubt among healthcare workers (HCWs) compared to other occupational categories (p < 0.001).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These findings aligned with those of previous studies, which highlighted the influential role of physicians in the vaccination decision-making process for pregnant women. For example, a cross-sectional survey of US pregnant women showed that respondents who were recommended for COVID-19 vaccination by their healthcare provider were 52% more likely to accept the vaccine, reporting fewer concerns about vaccine safety and greater confidence in its effectiveness, compared to respondents with no provider recommendation [17]. Similarly, a Korean study demonstrated that patient education about maternal COVID-19 vaccination on the behalf of obstetrics and gynecology doctors is pivotal in increasing vaccination coverage [39].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Assessing Doubts, Knowledge, and Service Appreciation among Pregnant Women Who Received the COVID-19 Vaccination in an Italian Research Hospital: A Cross-Sectional Study

et al. 2023

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The COVID-19 pandemic is considered one of the deadliest pandemics in history. Pregnant women are more susceptible to developing serious diseases during COVID-19 than their non-pregnant peers. Pregnant women often express doubt about accepting the vaccination, especially in regard to their security and safety. This study aims to investigate the appreciation of the vaccination offer, and if there are any determinants impacting vaccine hesitancy. A questionnaire was administered to a sample of pregnant women who had just received their immunization against COVID-19 at the vaccination service of a teaching hospital in Rome, from October 2021 to March 2022. A high appreciation of the vaccination services was found, both for the logistic organization and the healthcare personnel, with mean scores above 4 out of 5. The degree of pre-vaccinal doubt was low (41%) or medium (48%) for the largest part of the sample, while the degree of COVID-19 vaccine knowledge was high for 91% of the participants. Physicians were the most decisive information source for the vaccination choice. Our results highlighted that a supportive approach could increase appreciation and improve the setting of vaccinations. Healthcare professionals should aim for a more comprehensive and integrated role of all figures.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Assessing Doubts, Knowledge, and Service Appreciation among Pregnant Women Who Received the COVID-19 Vaccination in an Italian Research Hospital: A Cross-Sectional Study

et al. 2023

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“…One of the reasons for vaccine hesitancy is the concern about COVID-19 vaccine safety initiated by the rapid development of the COVID-19 vaccine itself ( Machingaidze & Wiysonge, 2021 ). Safety issues of the vaccine toward pregnant women become the main barriers to its acceptance ( Boshra et al, 2022 ; Levy et al, 2021 ; Regan et al, 2022 ). A systematic review found the COVID-19 vaccine acceptance involving 25,147 pregnant women was around 49% ( Bhattacharya et al, 2022 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A few instruments have been developed to assess knowledge, attitude and practices related to COVID-19 infection and vaccination ( Javier & Garin, 2022 ; Kunno et al, 2022 ; Nemat et al, 2022 ; Regan et al, 2022 ; Takahashi et al, 2022 ) however the evaluation of vaccine hesitancy from these instruments were inadequate. The Vaccine Hesitancy Scale has been developed by the WHO SAGE Working Group on Vaccine Hesitancy, which is nonspecific to certain vaccines and age groups and has been utilized in many countries.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Validation of the questionnaire “Pregnancy Vaccine Hesitancy Scale (pVHS)” toward COVID-19 vaccine for Malaysian pregnant women

Che Mood,

Mat Yudin,

Ahmad

et al. 2024

PeerJ

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Background Pregnancy is one of the risks for severe COVID-19 infection, and receiving a vaccination is one of the effective methods to reduce disease severity. However, COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among pregnant women remains an issue. This study aims to develop and validate the pregnancy Vaccine Hesitancy Scale (pVHS) toward COVID-19 vaccine for Malaysian pregnant women. Method An 8-item Malay language pregnancy Vaccine Hesitancy Scale (pVHS-M) for COVID-19 was adapted from the adult Vaccine Hesitancy Scale and validated using Exploratory Factor Analysis. Six expert panels were involved in content validity, and ten pregnant women were involved in face validity. A cross-sectional study on 200 pregnant women was conducted between October 2022 and March 2023 at the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Clinic, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kelantan. Result The item-level content validity index is 1.00, demonstrating good relevance of the eight items used to assess COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. The item-level face validity index obtained is 0.99, indicating that the items were clear and comprehensible. The Cronbach alpha score was 0.944, with factor loadings ranging from 0.79 to 0.89. Conclusion The pVHS-M demonstrated good internal consistency, indicating that it is a valid and reliable tool for assessing COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among pregnant women.

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Is It Safe for Me to Get It? Factors Influencing COVID-19 Vaccination Decision-Making among Postpartum Women Who Are Black and Hispanic in Deep South

Zhang,

Byrd,

Qiao

et al. 2024

J. Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities

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Background COVID-19 vaccination is vital for ending the pandemic, yet safety concerns persist among pregnant and postpartum women, especially those who are Black and Hispanic. This study aims to explore factors that influence postpartum women’s vaccination decision-making during pregnancy and postpartum through women’s lived experiences and maternal care providers’ (MCPs) observations. Methods From January to August 2022, we conducted semi-structured interviews with postpartum women who are Black and Hispanic and with MCPs. Participants were recruited from obstetric and pediatric clinics in South Carolina and had given birth in 2021. Thematic analysis was employed for data analysis. Results The study involved 19 Black and 20 Hispanic women, along with 9 MCPs, and revealed both barriers and facilitators to COVID-19 vaccination. The factors that influence pregnant and postpartum women’s decision about COVID-19 vaccine uptake included: 1) awareness of health threats associated with COVID-19 vaccines, 2) vaccine availability and accessibility, 3) vaccine-related knowledge and exposure to misinformation, 4) concerns regarding pre-existing health conditions and potential side effects of COVID-19 vaccines, 5) emotional factors associated with vaccination decision-making processes, 6) concerns about the well-being of infants, 7) cultural perspectives, and 8) encouragement by trusted supporters. Conclusion The findings suggest that reliable information, social support, and trusted MCPs’ advice can motivate COVID-19 vaccination among pregnant and postpartum women who are Black and Hispanic. However, barriers such as misinformation, mistrust in the health care system, and fears of potential side effects impede vaccination uptake. Future interventions should address these barriers, consider health disparities, involve trusted MCPs, and initiate conversations about vaccines to promote vaccination among these populations.

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COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and coverage among pregnant persons in the United States

Cited by 18 publications

References 31 publications

Assessing Doubts, Knowledge, and Service Appreciation among Pregnant Women Who Received the COVID-19 Vaccination in an Italian Research Hospital: A Cross-Sectional Study

Assessing Doubts, Knowledge, and Service Appreciation among Pregnant Women Who Received the COVID-19 Vaccination in an Italian Research Hospital: A Cross-Sectional Study

Validation of the questionnaire “Pregnancy Vaccine Hesitancy Scale (pVHS)” toward COVID-19 vaccine for Malaysian pregnant women

Is It Safe for Me to Get It? Factors Influencing COVID-19 Vaccination Decision-Making among Postpartum Women Who Are Black and Hispanic in Deep South

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