COVID-19 Vaccine Knowledge, Attitude, Acceptance and Hesitancy among Pregnancy and Breastfeeding: Systematic Review of Hospital-Based Studies

The risk of unfavourable outcomes for SARS-CoV-2 infection is significant during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Vaccination is a safe and effective measure to lower this risk. This study aims at reviewing the literature concerning the anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccine's acceptance/hesitancy among pregnant and breastfeeding women attending hospital facilities. A systematic review of literature was carried out. Hospital-based observational studies related to vaccination acceptance, hesitancy, knowledge and attitude among pregnant and breastfeeding women were included. Determinants of acceptance and hesitancy were investigated in detail. Quality assessment was done via the Johann Briggs Institute quality assessment tools. After literature search, 43 studies were included, 30 of which only focused on pregnant women (total sample 25,862 subjects). Sample size ranged from 109 to 7017 people. Acceptance of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine ranged from 16% to 78.52%; vaccine hesitancy ranged between 91.4% and 24.5%. Fear of adverse events for either the woman, the child, or both, was the main driver for hesitancy. Other determinants of hesitancy included religious concerns, socioeconomic factors, inadequate information regarding the vaccine and lack of trust towards institutions. SARS-CoV-2 vaccine hesitancy in hospitalized pregnant women appears to be significant, and efforts for a more effective communication to these subjects are required.

Automated summary

The acceptance and hesitancy towards the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine vary among pregnant and breastfeeding women. The acceptance rate ranges widely, while the hesitancy rate is relatively high. Fear of adverse events is the main driver of hesitancy, and other factors include religious concerns, socioeconomic factors, lack of information, and mistrust towards institutions. More effective communication and education are needed to improve acceptance.