Tetanus vaccine during pregnancy: data of a tertiary hospital in Turkey

Abstract

Background/aim: To evaluate the prevalence of tetanus vaccination in pregnant women and determine the factors affecting the vaccination and barriers to vaccination. Materials and methods:An observational-descriptive study was conducted on 494 women who gave birth at the Etlik Zübeyde Hanım Women's Health Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. Participants were divided into 2 groups, vaccinated and unvaccinated. Sociodemographic characteristics, obstetric history, and prenatal care status were compared between the 2 groups.Results: There were 242 (48.9%) and 252 (51.1%) women in the vaccinated and unvaccinated groups, respectively. The vaccination rate decreased as the number of pregnancies increased (P = 0.009). As the level of income increased, there was a statistically significant increase in the vaccination rate (P = 0.048). The status of education and having an occupation did not affect the vaccination rate (P > 0.05). The vaccination rate was higher in women with regular follow-ups when compared to those who did not get a regular follow-up (76.5% vs. 38.7%) (P = 0.001). The vaccination rate was significantly higher in women who had knowledge about tetanus vaccine during pregnancy (P < 0.005). Conclusions:All pregnant women should be encouraged to get regular antenatal care to increase vaccination rates. Health care providers should give all pregnant women detailed information about the safety, effectivity, and benefits of vaccines.

Factors associated with births protected against neonatal tetanus in Africa: Evidences from Demographic and health surveys of five African countries

“…Women from households with highest wealth index had higher odds of being their birth protected against neonatal tetanus compared with those women from households with the poorest wealth index. This finding is consistent with studies in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Kenya, and Turkey [ 12 , 13 , 15 , 18 ]. This could be because economic status has significant impact on the use of health care services of the mother; households with low economic status could not afford the high transportation and maternity costs [ 29 , 30 ].…”

“…According to the finding of different studies, antenatal care [10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17], women education [11,14,[16][17][18], income [12,13,15,18], distance to a health facility [11,12,14,19], residence [14,18,19], parity [19], husband education [12,14,18], maternal age at last birth [18], women's employment status [15] and media exposure [11,17] are significantly associated with births protected against neonatal tetanus.…”

Factors Related to Low COVID-19 Vaccination Rate in Pregnant and Postpartum Women with and without COVID-19

“…A previous study about the tetanus vaccine showed a high vaccination rate in pregnant women who were well informed about vaccination. 32 To ensure herd immunity, the effects of vaccines and the necessary doses for protection should be explained to the public in detail. Reliable health communication and encouraging the public about vaccination can influence positive health behaviors.…”

Immunization Status in Children with Cerebral Palsy and Their Household Members, and Parental Beliefs and Attitudes About Childhood, Adulthood, and COVID-19 Immunizations

“…In this study, the rate of mothers who have received the Td vaccine in the past ten years was 83.8%, including the pregnancy of the index child. Unawareness of the need, timing, and resources of Td immunization during pregnancy was the most common reason given by unvaccinated Turkish women (22). Another reason for non-immunization for Td was lack of interest, while immunization was not refused.…”