Inclusion of pregnant individuals among priority populations for coronavirus disease 2019 vaccination for all 50 states in the United States

COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in the Perinatal Period: A Survey Among Residents of Hawaii

Introduction

This study describes the vaccination status among people in Hawaii who are attempting pregnancy, currently pregnant, recently delivered (<6 months), and/or breastfeeding and documents common concerns and information sources associated with vaccine decision making.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional online survey between April and September 2022 throughout Hawaii. The anonymous surveys were disseminated through flyers and online links posted by physician offices and community partners throughout Hawaii.

Results

Final analyses included 165 responses. Almost half of the respondents (n=75, 45%) were unvaccinated, 38% (n=62) were fully vaccinated, and 17% (n=28) were partially vaccinated. The most influential sources for vaccine decision making for vaccinated respondents were their healthcare providers (n=28, 45%) and official healthcare organizations (n=22, 36%), whereas unvaccinated respondents reported friends/family (n=28, 37%) and their healthcare providers (n=26, 35%) as their most influential sources. Top COVID-19 vaccine concerns for unvaccinated individuals were reactions to vaccine (n=78, 76%) and concerns for safety of the vaccine (n=75, 73%).

Conclusions

Efforts should be made to increase and expand vaccine education about the benefits and safety of vaccines during pregnancy beyond the pregnant person to create more supportive social norms for COVID-19 vaccination in the perinatal period. Consistent and unequivocal support across medical specialties, including obstetrics, pediatrics, and family medicine, is also crucial for encouraging the uptake of the vaccine during pregnancy or when breastfeeding.

Is It Safe for Me to Get It? Factors Influencing COVID-19 Vaccination Decision-Making among Postpartum Women Who Are Black and Hispanic in Deep South

BACKGROUND

COVID-19 vaccination is vital for ending the pandemic, yet safety concerns persist among pregnant and postpartum women, especially those who are Black and Hispanic. This study aims to explore factors that influence postpartum women's vaccination decision-making during pregnancy and postpartum through women's lived experiences and maternal care providers' (MCPs) observations.

METHODS

From January to August 2022, we conducted semi-structured interviews with postpartum women who are Black and Hispanic and with MCPs. Participants were recruited from obstetric and pediatric clinics in South Carolina and had given birth in 2021. Thematic analysis was employed for data analysis.

RESULTS

The study involved 19 Black and 20 Hispanic women, along with 9 MCPs, and revealed both barriers and facilitators to COVID-19 vaccination. The factors that influence pregnant and postpartum women's decision about COVID-19 vaccine uptake included: 1) awareness of health threats associated with COVID-19 vaccines, 2) vaccine availability and accessibility, 3) vaccine-related knowledge and exposure to misinformation, 4) concerns regarding pre-existing health conditions and potential side effects of COVID-19 vaccines, 5) emotional factors associated with vaccination decision-making processes, 6) concerns about the well-being of infants, 7) cultural perspectives, and 8) encouragement by trusted supporters.

CONCLUSION

The findings suggest that reliable information, social support, and trusted MCPs' advice can motivate COVID-19 vaccination among pregnant and postpartum women who are Black and Hispanic. However, barriers such as misinformation, mistrust in the health care system, and fears of potential side effects impede vaccination uptake. Future interventions should address these barriers, consider health disparities, involve trusted MCPs, and initiate conversations about vaccines to promote vaccination among these populations.

Factors related to COVID-19 vaccination intention and uptake among childbearing women

OBJECTIVE

Pregnant women are a vulnerable population for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) due to their risk for severe symptoms and adverse perinatal outcomes. Our objective was to identify contributors to COVID-19 vaccine intention in pregnancy and subsequent uptake, informed by the Theory of Planned Behavior, the Health Belief Model, and paradigms implicating social determinants of health (SDoH).

METHOD

Total of 1,899 pregnant women across the United States completed questionnaires in December 2020 (T1) and April 2021 (T2). A structural equation model (SEM) was built from hypothesized contributors to vaccine intention (T1) and uptake (T2), including perceived threat of COVID-19, attitudes toward infection mitigation behaviors, and social determinants of health SDoH (i.e., socioeconomic status [SES], minoritized identity), controlling for maternal health, age, and county-level political orientation.

RESULTS

In the SEM, SDoH variables, perceived threat and behavioral attitudes predicted vaccine intention. SDoH were directly associated with vaccine uptake and indirectly associated via vaccine intention (SES direct effect b = .17, total effect b = .38; identifying as Black/African American direct effect b = -.05, total effect b = -.09) The SEM demonstrated good fit and explained 38% of the variance in vaccine intention and 26% in vaccine uptake.

CONCLUSIONS

COVID-19 vaccination for pregnant women is influenced by SDoH and perceptual factors. Particular attention should focus on persons with lower SES and Black/African American women who reported lower vaccination intention and uptake. Potential routes to increase vaccination in perinatal populations include reducing accessibility barriers and providing information about vaccine safety and efficacy. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Factors influencing COVID-19 vaccination decision-making among African American and Hispanic pregnant and postpartum women in Deep South

Background

COVID-19 vaccination is vital for ending the pandemic but concerns about its safety among pregnant and postpartum women, especially among African American (AA) and Hispanic women, persist. This study aims to explore factors that influence vaccination decision-making among AA and Hispanic pregnant and postpartum women through women's experiences and maternal care providers' (MCPs) observations.

Methods

From January and August 2022, we conducted semi-structured interviews with AA and Hispanic women and MCPs. Participants were recruited from obstetric and pediatric clinics in South Carolina, and all births took place after March 2020. Thematic analysis was employed for data analysis.

Results

The study involved 19 AA and 20 Hispanic women, along with 9 MCPs, and revealed both barriers and facilitators to COVID-19 vaccination. The factors that influence pregnant and postpartum women's decision about COVID-19 vaccine uptake included: 1) awareness of health threats associated with COVID-19 vaccines, 2) vaccine availability and accessibility, 3) vaccine-related knowledge and exposure to misinformation, 4) concerns regarding pre-existing health conditions and potential side effects of COVID-19 vaccines, 5) emotional factors associated with vaccination decision-making processes, 6) concerns about the well-being of infants, 7) cultural perspectives, and 8) encouragement by trusted supporters.

Conclusion

Findings suggest that reliable information, social support, and trusted doctors' advice can motivate COVID-19 vaccination. However, barriers such as misinformation, mistrust in the health care system, and fears related to potential side effects impede vaccination uptake among AA and Hispanic pregnant and postpartum women. Future interventions should target these barriers, along with health disparities, involve trusted doctors in outreach, and initiate vaccine conversations to promote vaccination among this population.

Regional Disparities in COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy: The Moderating Role of Social Distancing and Vaccine Rollout in the U.S

This study examines the relationship between statewide contexts and individuals’ COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy by using the Household Pulse Survey, a national and near real-time data timely deployed by the U.S. Census Bureau. Controlling for the individual- and state-level variables in addition to temporal effect, this study finds that racial and ethnic minorities and COVID-19-infected people are more hesitant than their counterparts to receive a vaccine. Individuals who reside in a state where more stringent social distancing measures – particularly mask mandate – are implemented and vaccine rollout conditions are better appear to be less hesitant to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Vulnerable subpopulation groups such as people of color and COVID-19-infected individuals are more hesitant to vaccine uptake even if regional circumstances are equal. These findings suggest that the continuation and extension of vaccine campaigns at the regional as well as individual levels are all important for expediting COVID-19 vaccination and reducing vaccine hesitancy as the world is in the middle of the third year of the pandemic.

Reversing physician hesitancy to recommend COVID-19 vaccination for pregnant patients

Physician hesitancy is said to occur when physicians do not recommend COVID-19 vaccination, and it is a contributing factor for the low vaccination rate for COVID-19 in pregnant women. Physician hesitancy has become a major, unaddressed problem with regard to the quality and safety of obstetrical care. We identify 3 root causes of physician hesitancy and describe how professional ethics in obstetrics should guide in reversing these root causes. They are clinical misapplications of key components of professionally responsible obstetrical practice: therapeutic nihilism, shared decision-making, and respect for patient autonomy. Therapeutic nihilism directs the obstetrician to avoid any clinical interventions during pregnancy to prevent teratogenic effects that might be unknown. Therapeutic nihilism is misapplied when there is a documented net clinical benefit with no evidence of clinical harm. Shared decision directs the obstetrician to only offer but not recommend clinical management. Shared decision-making plays a major role when there is uncertainty in clinical judgment but is misapplied when it becomes a universal model. It does not apply when there is a net clinical benefit. When there is a net clinical benefit, clinical management should be recommended, not simply offered. The ethical principle of respect for patient autonomy plays an indispensable role in decision-making with patients. It is misapplied when it is assumed that respect for autonomy requires physicians not to make recommendations and to defer to and implement patients' decisions without exception. There is evidence that the obstetrician's recommendations about the management of pregnancy are the most important factor in a pregnant woman's decision-making. Simply deferring to the patient's decisions makes for misapplied respect for patient autonomy. Obstetricians must end physician hesitancy about COVID-19 vaccination of pregnant women by reversing these 3 root causes of physician hesitancy. Reversing the root causes of physician hesitancy is an urgent matter of patient safety. The longer physician hesitancy continues and the longer the low vaccine acceptance rate of pregnant women lasts, preventable serious diseases, deaths of pregnant women, intensive care unit admissions, stillbirths, and other maternal and fetal complications of unvaccinated women will continue to occur. Physician hesitancy should not be permitted to influence the response to future pandemics.

Anesthesia Considerations for Pregnant People With COVID-19 Infection

The purpose of this review is to describe updates following initial recommendations on best anesthesia practices for obstetric patients with coronavirus disease 2019. The first surge in the United States prompted anesthesiologists to adapt workflows and reconsider obstetric anesthesia care, with emphasis on avoidance of general anesthesia, the benefit of early neuraxial labor analgesia, and prevention of emergent cesarean delivery whenever possible. While workflows have changed to allow sustained safety for obstetric patients and health care workers, it is notable that obstetric anesthesia protocols for labor and delivery have not significantly evolved since the first coronavirus disease 2019 wave.