Drivers for COVID 19 vaccine hesitancy among breastfeeding women in Eastern tribal state, India

Background

In the COVID-19 pandemic age, vaccination hesitancy also known as vaccine refusal is a cause for worry since it hinges on the five Cs of confidence, complacency, convenience, calculation, and shared responsibility. The current study was to pinpoint the elements that contribute to breastfeeding women's hesitation to receive the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) vaccine.

Materials and Methods

A cross-sectional observational study was carried out at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Tertiary Care Hospital, Ranchi, Jharkhand.

Result

Out of 365 nursing mothers, 242 (66.3%) were hesitant to get the COVID-19 vaccination. Those who chose not to receive the COVID-19 vaccination mostly belong to those aged 18 to 25 (38.1%), living in rural regions (44.9%), and belonging to non-tribal ethnic groups (41.1%). On application of logistic regression, it was found that rural areas had 3 times higher rate of vaccine hesitancy than urban residents, and that husbands' education levels up to the 12th grade had a 3.55 times higher rate and 5 times agriculture by husband's occupation, which was statistically significant (P value less than 0.05) The most prevalent grounds for rejection were fear of side effects (85.8%) and worry of adverse effects on newborns (83.48%).

Conclusion

Both husband and wife, who had completed high school and were aware of the vaccination, were fearful of the COVID-19 vaccine. Concerns about the side effects and undesirable effects of vaccination on their newborns were the main reasons for refusal.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Blood Donation Patterns: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Blood centers, which are arguably the backbone of every hospital, depend on blood donors for a constant and regular supply of blood. Like many other fields, the COVID-19 pandemic severely affected blood donations. In this article, we aim to systematically search the studies done on blood donation during the COVID-19 pandemic period, analyze the pandemic's effect on blood donation, and examine the methodology used to overcome the problem. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on blood donation. Two independent reviewers searched different databases, such as PubMed, ProQuest, Scopus, and Google Scholar. We used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses and the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal checklist for overall study characteristics. We included a total of 15 studies. There was an overall decrease in blood donation of 25%, with some regions showing a decrease of as much as 71%. However, some regions were able to experience a 2-10% increase in blood donation after taking stringent and early measures to prevent such decreases. The COVID-19 pandemic and consequent lockdown greatly affected blood transfusion services, resulting in a progressive decline in blood donations that threatened the lives of many patients who were fully dependent on blood transfusion. However, by making appropriate and early decisions and taking action, policymakers and the rest of society can prevent such shortages, potentially saving millions of lives.

Evaluation of the Health and Nutritional Status of Discharged Children From Malnutrition Treatment Centres Using Mobile Phone Calls During the COVID-19 Lockdown in Jharkhand, India

Background The Indian state of Jharkhand has the highest rate of wasting (29%) among young children. Mobile audio call follow-up can be used to assess such children with severe acute malnutrition (SAM). Aim This study evaluated SAM children during the COVID-19 outbreak and learn more about the status of their home/community care, and caregivers' awareness of integrated child development services (ICDS) and COVID-19 prevention. Methods Contact numbers of caregivers for discharged children were obtained from 54 malnutrition treatment centers (MTCs). In April and June 2020, mentors conducted follow-up interviews using mobile phone calls. Results Seven children (1.72%) were reported dead and 400 were alive, mostly girls (59.5%). Only a few caregivers observed post-discharge ailments (15.4%) and weight loss (7.7%) in their children. Children aged six to 24 months were characterized by continued breastfeeding (88.0%) at most five to six times a day (45.8%). Most of the children were not fed as per maternal infant and young child feeding protocols. Age in months with an adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 0.55 (1.00-1.11) as a 95% confidence interval (CI), age category, with an adjusted OR of 4.32 (1.71- 10.94) as 95% CI, and breastfeeding with adjusted OR 1.85 (1.07- 3.21) as 95% CI were three major predictors for a well-fed child. Conclusion Community involvement is crucial in the follow-up of children with SAM for effective rehabilitation. Mobile phone audio call follow-up is a relatively cost-effective approach to tackle geographic barriers and COVID-19 lockdown-induced situations. There are major gaps mainly in informing caregivers on how to manage COVID-19 with breastfeeding.

Factors associated with development of adverse events after taking COVID-19 vaccine in a tribal state of India: Regression analysis

Background

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccination becomes a crucial weapon in the pandemic's control. Two vaccines, Covishield and Covaxin, are approved in India to vaccinate against the virus. Hence, the present study was done to determine the factors associated with the development of adverse events after taking the COVID-19 vaccine in a tribal state of India.

Materials and Methods

This was a cross-sectional analytical study. All persons who were willing to participate in our study and had received the first or second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine from January 1 to March 31, 2021, were included. We got 1497 complete responses via (free, web-based Google Docs Editors suite offered by google, Founders- Larry Page Sergey Brin. Menlo Park, California, United States). So our final sample size came out to be 1497 in which analysis was done. The data was compiled in MS excel sheets (Microsoft version 2013, Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, Washington, United States) and a template was generated which was further analyzed in SPSS version 20 (version 25.0; IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA).

Results

The total number of respondents who participated in the surveillance of adverse events following immunization (AEFI) was 1497. Among them, a majority have taken the Covishield vaccine followed by Covaxin. The majority of participants were female of age group less than 30 years and above 18 years with a mean age of 33.63 ± 51.51. The most common AEFI was pain at the site of injection, after the first and second dose followed by fever after the first and second dose within 24 h following immunization.

Conclusion

We conclude that factors like the type of vaccine, gender, and participants who have allergies have a higher risk of presenting the adverse events after the COVID-19 vaccination.