Knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and barriers associated with the uptake of influenza vaccine among pregnant women

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to assess the knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and factors associated with the uptake of the influenza (flu) vaccination in women within Saudi Arabia during their pregnancy period. A cross-sectional prospective survey was conducted on 1085 pregnant women at the antenatal clinic over a period of 6 weeks with the provision of influenza vaccination. The questionnaire collected demographic and other data; it included 12 questions on their general knowledge and assessed their attitude toward influenza vaccination, and their awareness of vaccine risk and the potential benefits during pregnancy. The knowledge score obtained was then calculated and compared. A total of 998 patients took part in the questionnaire with a response rate of 92%. There was poor awareness that the flu vaccine is safe to administer during pregnancy (130, 13.1%) and that all pregnant women should receive the flu vaccine (190, 19.1%). Pregnant women with flu vaccine knowledge score of ⩽5 (range 0-12) were significantly less likely to take the vaccine (OR 3.78, 95% CI 2.68-5.26, < 0.001). There was a low uptake of the vaccine (178, 18.1%) and only 29 (3.0%) had previously been offered the flu vaccine by any doctor during their pregnancy. In addition, 255 (25.8%) were against taking the flu vaccine during pregnancy. The knowledge and uptake of the influenza vaccine among Saudi pregnant women are low. One quarter was against the vaccine during pregnancy. Very few believed the flu vaccine to be safe during pregnancy. Rarely, physicians advise their clients to take flu vaccine.

Influenza vaccination among Saudi Hajj pilgrims: Revealing the uptake and vaccination barriers

“…Moreover, in this study, pregnant pilgrims, who are particularly encouraged to receive influenza vaccine before Hajj, had an overall vaccination uptake of just 39%. Similarly, low uptake among non-pilgrim Saudi pregnant women was attributed to misunderstanding about the safety of influenza vaccine for pregnant women [52]. Furthermore, in a hospital based study in Saudi Arabia, it was observed that only 8.8% of HCWs knew that influenza vaccine is recommended for pregnant women [53].…”

Practice and attitudes towards immunization among Lebanese obstetricians and gynecologists

“…Another explanation is that some pregnant women are already reluctant to receive any kind of vaccination during pregnancy for the fear that it might pose a risk on their newborn. 18 This, coupled with the fact that a sizable proportion of the OBGYN surveyed do not themselves believe that there are enough safety data about the long term effects of vaccines on women and their fetuses, further decreases the chances that vaccines will be recommended to pregnant women although healthcare providers should play a key role in enhancing the knowledge of vaccine safety in all age groups, especially the vulnerable pregnant women. Furthermore, despite the higher implementation of proper vaccination in adolescents compared to pregnant women, when counseling women about an intervention like the HPV vaccinewith proven efficacy in reducing the risk of serious health problems like cervical, vulvar and anal cancer, one would expect a much higher uptake especially if the health care providers are convinced of its safety and efficacy.…”

Improved capacity for influenza surveillance in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region: Progress in a challenging setting

“…A total of 4172 seasonal influenza virus specimens were sent to the WHO Collaborating Centres by 15 NICs and influenza laboratories of the Region during the period from 2011 to 2018. The number of seasonal influenza virus samples sent to WHO CCs for vaccine strain selection increased from 142 specimens in 2011 (median 11, IQR [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16] to 1473 specimens at the end of 2018 (median 89, IQR 82-174). During the same period, the number of shipments also increased from 11 shipments per year from 8 national influenza centers during 2011 to 33 shipments per year from 15 national influenza centers and influenza laboratories at the end of 2018.…”

“…We found at least 10 studies that discussed policies and recommendations about seasonal influenza vaccination. The studies were from Egypt, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates [12][13][14][15]. Seven stud- ies were specific to the use of seasonal influenza vaccines amongst the pilgrims for hajj and Umrah and originated from Saudi Arabia and Egypt.…”