Women With Prior Knowledge of COVID-19 Vaccine More Likely Receive Vaccination While Pregnant

Women who had previous knowledge of the COVID-19 vaccines tended to receive it while pregnant compared with women who were pregnant and recently contracted COVID-19, who were more hesitant to receive the vaccination.¹

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A previous study showed that pregnant individuals with COVID-19 were more likely to be hospitalized, die, or experience pregnancy complications. Additionally, the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines have been shown to prevent severe disease symptoms and complications for those who are pregnant, demonstrating that women vaccinated had a lower risk for being admitted into the intensive care unit. Further, vaccination was not associated with higher risk of preterm birth, small gestational age, or stillbirth.^2-4

In the current study, investigators included data from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital and Faculty of Medicine at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand. The study was conducted between November 2021 and April 2022 and included approximately 500 pregnant individuals 18 years and older. Participants were provided a detailed questionnaire that included demographic data; perception of the COVID-19 pandemic; vaccination concerns, knowledge, and attitude; practices related to COVID-19 during pregnancy; knowledge, attitude, and acceptance regarding the vaccine; and factors that influenced the acceptance or rejection of the vaccine.¹

The primary outcome included acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine among pregnant participants, and secondary outcomes included the knowledge and attitude towards the vaccine and the factors associated with their acceptance or rejection of the vaccine.¹

Of the 500 individuals included, approximately 68.2% were aged 20 to 34 years, 31.2% were 35 or older, and 0.6% were younger than 20. Approximately 45.4% were in the third trimester, 79% did not have underlying disease, and 11.8% were previously infected with COVID-19. Further, approximately 80.2% had a bachelor’s degree or higher, according to the study authors.¹

Investigators reported that approximately 81% had serious complications from the vaccination, with 59.2% saying they preferred that any future vaccinations be with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Of those who were completely or fairly confident in the advice from their health care provider (n = 42) 8.3% rejected the COVID-19 vaccine, and of those who were not confident at all (n = 94) 7.4% rejected the vaccine. Furthermore, 14% believe the numbers of reported cases of COVID-19 are being exaggerated compared with 70.2% who do not believe that and 15.8% who said maybe.¹

Furthermore, investigators reported that more than half of individuals had great knowledge about protecting themselves from COVID-19, with 55.4% scoring an 80% or higher on the questionnaire. In the attitude and practice subsections, 38.2% and 44.8%, respectively, achieved a score of 80% or higher.¹

Among those who received the vaccine, 36.2% said safety was the most common factor compared with 49.2% of those who rejected the vaccine and did not want to put the child at risk from possible adverse effects.¹

In total, the investigators reported that approximately 67.4% and 81.4% of pregnant women had great knowledge and attitudes towards the COVID-19 vaccine, respectively, with 92.6% accepting the vaccine.¹

REFERENCES

1. Kuptarak A, Phupong V. Knowledge, attitude, and acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine in pregnant women. Ther Adv Vaccines Immunother. 2024;12. doi:10.1177/25151355241278832

2. McGovern G. Study Finds 1 in 10 Pregnant Individuals Who Test Positive For COVID-19 Will Develop Long COVID. Pharmacy Times. July 17, 2024. Accessed September 24, 2024. https://www.pharmacytimes.com/view/study-finds-1-in-10-pregnant-individuals-who-test-positive-for-covid-19-will-develop-long-covid

3. Hunter E. COVID-19 Vaccine Can Prevent ICU Visit for Pregnant Women. Pharmacy Times. January 24, 2023. Accessed September 24, 2024. https://www.pharmacytimes.com/view/covid-19-vaccine-can-prevent-icu-visit-for-pregnant-women

4. Hunter E. Study Finds COVID-19 Vaccination During Pregnancy Does Not Increase Risk of Preterm Birth or Stillbirth. Pharmacy Times. August 29, 2022. Accessed September 24, 2024. https://www.pharmacytimes.com/view/study-finds-covid-19-vaccination-during-pregnancy-does-not-increase-risk-of-preterm-birth-or-stillbirth