Myths Pertaining to COVID-19 Vaccination in Pregnant Women Attending a Rural Tertiary Care Hospital

Abstract

BackgroundThe outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic led to the rise of various social issues apart from medical ones. Several myths regarding COVID-19 vaccination were found worldwide, and some of the common ones identified were abortions, birth defects, bad pregnancy outcomes such as abortions, ectopic pregnancy, risk of infertility, and irregular menstrual cycles. Although no scientific theories or data backed those myths, pregnancy was still omitted from trials for a long time as any drug/vaccine given during pregnancy may affect the fetus. ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to evaluate the vaccination status of pregnant women (PW) regarding COVID-19 and explore the factors influencing those who chose not to get the initial dose, second dose, or booster dose. MethodologyA total of 747 PW were enrolled in the current study. Information related to sociodemographic data, clinical data, COVID-19 vaccine status, and rationale for choosing not to receive the COVID-19 vaccination was analyzed using a prestructured and validated Performa. ResultsThe mean age and gestational age of the women enrolled for the study was 27.39 ± 3.75 years and 30.21 ± 7.30 weeks, respectively. The first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine was not received by 40 (5.4%) subjects, and the second dose was pending in 142 (19%) women, and none of them received booster dose. The prevalent cause for abstaining from receiving the COVID-19 vaccination was the fear of abortion in 179 (24%) subjects, followed by the fear of vaccine-related side effects in 142 (19%) subjects. There was a significant correlation between acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination and education and employment. ConclusionThe present study indicated that most women have taken the COVID-19 vaccine before conception and that none received the first, second, or booster dose during pregnancy, even if it was due. Women need to be educated about the benefits of vaccination to enhance the compliance rate of COVID-19 vaccination and reduce COVID-19-related morbidity and mortality during pregnancy.