Vaccination Status of Mothers and Children from the ‘Mamma & Bambino’ Cohort

Abstract

According to the evidence demonstrating vaccines’ safety and effectiveness in anticipation of and during pregnancy, several countries have established immunization programs during the periconceptional period. Here, we evaluated vaccination status among 220 mother–child pairs, using data from the ‘Mamma & Bambino’ cohort. The self-reported data were evaluated at delivery, and with planned follow-ups at 1–2 years after delivery. In general, we noted that the vaccination status among the women was heterogeneous, ranging from 8.3% (vaccine against Human Papillomavirus, HPV) to 65.6% (vaccine against Diphtheria Tetanus and Pertussis, DTaP). Excluding the women who contracted the diseases in the past, the main ground for refusal was the lack of information. We also demonstrated that increasing age was associated with higher odds of not being vaccinated against Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR; OR = 1.12; 95% CI = 1.04-1.21; p = 0.004), HPV (OR = 1.20; 95% CI = 1.08-1.33; p = 0.001) and DTaP (OR =1.09; 95% CI = 1.01-1.18; p = 0.040). As expected, we showed that the proportion of newborns vaccinated with the Hexavalent and Pneumococcal vaccines was high (99.5% and 98.6%, respectively), while the vaccination coverage against MMRV did not reach the auspicated threshold (84.1%). Overall, these results underlined the need for the improvement of women’s knowledge about the recommendations for vaccination, especially during pregnancy.

Using Google Trends to Predict COVID-19 Vaccinations and Monitor Search Behaviours about Vaccines: A Retrospective Analysis of Italian Data

“…Our work also aimed to explore if Google Trends might be valid for monitoring changes in feelings associated with the introduction of new vaccines. To do that, we focused on pregnant women because they are more inclined to be worried for themselves and their children [28]. In fact, pregnant women represent a vulnerable group that deserves attention when planning a new vaccination campaign, through proper information on the risks and benefits of vaccination.…”

Descriptive Observational Study of Tdap Vaccination Adhesion in Pregnant Women in the Florentine Area (Tuscany, Italy) in 2019 and 2020

“…In Southern Italy, the Tdap vaccine adhesion in pregnant women is about 1.7% [ 20 ], in the Abruzzo region between 1.2–15% (for both influenza and Tdap or only one of them) [ 21 ], whereas in countries, such as Belgium, it reached the 64% [ 22 , 23 ]. The main reason for women’s refusal appears to be the lack of appropriate information provided by the GP and obstetricians and/or gynecologists [ 24 ]. Unaware or poorly aware pregnant women were more likely to feel that the recommended vaccines administered during pregnancy (Tdap and influenza) were very dangerous for them and for their unborn child [ 25 , 26 , 27 ].…”

Prenatal care and human rights: Addressing the gap between medical and legal frameworks and the experience of women in Brazil

“…There has been much progress in vaccination coverage in Brazil and vaccination has been recognized by women in this study as a successful case of coverage and achievement of their right to health. However, the population’s search for vaccine in recent years has decreased, and the vaccination coverage has not reached the goals advocated by the WHO [ 55 ].…”