COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake and Hesitancy among Pregnant and Lactating Women in Saudi Arabia.

Autor:	AlHefdhi HA; Family and Community Medicine Department, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha 62529, Saudi Arabia., Mahmood SE; Family and Community Medicine Department, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha 62529, Saudi Arabia., Alsaeedi MAI; Intern, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha 62529, Saudi Arabia., Alwabel HHA; Intern, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha 62529, Saudi Arabia., Alshahrani MS; Intern, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha 62529, Saudi Arabia., Alshehri EY; Intern, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha 62529, Saudi Arabia., Alhamlan RAO; Intern, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha 62529, Saudi Arabia., Alosaimi MN; Intern, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha 62529, Saudi Arabia.
Jazyk:	angličtina
Zdroj:	Vaccines [Vaccines (Basel)] 2023 Feb 05; Vol. 11 (2). Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Feb 05.
DOI:	10.3390/vaccines11020361
Abstrakt:	Introduction: Pregnant and breastfeeding women comprise a high-risk group for the development of severe COVID-19. Therefore, vaccination is highly recommended for perinatal women; however, vaccination levels for this group remain inadequate. This study explores the percentage of COVID-19 vaccination among Saudi pregnant and lactating women, as well as their attitudes toward it. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey on a sample of Saudi pregnant and breastfeeding women. The study included pregnant and lactating women. Results: The percentage of COVID-19 vaccine uptake was 78.2%. A total of 45 (21.8%) out of 206 women did not receive the vaccine. The overall vaccine hesitancy was 21.8%. Breastfeeding women were 2.86 more likely not to receive the vaccine as compared to pregnant women. Being a mother of over five children increased the vaccine uptake among our participating women ( n = 20, 90%; p < 0.01). The majority of the subjects had taken the Pfizer vaccine (81.98%, 132/161). The availability of the COVID-19 vaccine was the most common factor for choosing a particular vaccine. Protection from infection (60.2%, 97/161) was reported as the main driver for vaccine uptake. The most common reason perceived for delaying COVID-19 vaccination was being worried about the side effects (176, 85.44%) on one's own body and the effects on the unborn child (130, 63.1%). Conclusion: We uncovered high levels of hesitancy, primarily induced by concerns about adverse effects and social media-related misinformation. These high levels of vaccine uptake are likely due to the large-scale obligatory vaccination program provided in Saudi Arabia, which was well-structured and far reaching. Our results provide further support for the so-called "protection motivation theory" in boosting vaccine acceptance. Counseling and educating pregnant and breastfeeding women about COVID-19 vaccination is the need of the hour.
Databáze:	MEDLINE
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