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Factors Influencing COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in Pregnant and Breastfeeding/Puerperium Women: A Cross-Sectional Study

Authors :
Dania Comparcini
Marco Tomietto
Francesco Pastore
Bethany Nichol
Daniela Miniscalco
Maria Elena Flacco
Pasquale Stefanizzi
Silvio Tafuri
Giancarlo Cicolini
Valentina Simonetti
Source :
Vaccines, Vol 12, Iss 7, p 772 (2024)
Publication Year :
2024
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2024.

Abstract

Vaccination among pregnant and breastfeeding women is critical for protecting this vulnerable population and their children. COVID-19 vaccination is recommended both during pregnancy and breastfeeding; however, we still do not fully understand the determinants that influence hesitancy towards COVID-19 vaccination. This study aimed to identify the determinants of vaccine hesitancy in pregnant and breastfeeding, puerperium women. A multicenter, cross-sectional study, involving 435 pregnant and breastfeeding women, was conducted. Vaccination hesitancy was evaluated by administering the Vaccination Attitudes (VAX) Scale and the Zung Anxiety Self-Assessment Scale (SAS) was adopted to measure anxiety levels. Overall, 14% of the participants reported that they did not receive the COVID-19 vaccine, and 78.3% received their first dose during pregnancy or while breastfeeding. The descriptive statistics for the VAX scale showed a total mean score of 3.35 (±1.6), and 75% of participants reported an anxiety index equal to or lower than the threshold. Vaccine hesitancy increased as “adverse events after vaccination” increased (p < 0.01), while SAS levels positively correlated with the participants’ mean age (p < 0.05). Investigating the factors influencing vaccine hesitancy enables the development of targeted health policies and SARS-CoV-2 vaccination programs.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
2076393X
Volume :
12
Issue :
7
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Vaccines
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.7ac5f60ade0e42feab83ea62bf78b2af
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines12070772