Overview
Maternal vaccination offers the potential to tackle the sustainable development goal 3 (SDG3) to reduce neonatal and maternal vaccination globally. One important means to reduce this mortality and morbidity is the use of maternal vaccination given that infections directly account for 22% of neonatal deaths, and 10-50% of stillbirths are attributable to maternal infections.
The World Health Organisation recommends vaccination in pregnancy for three diseases, Influenza, Pertussis and Tetanus. Many countries have yet to assess coverage of maternal vaccination, but smaller studies have highlighted reduced uptake of pertussis and influenza vaccines. Where national data is available, such as in the United Kingdom, Influenza coverage for pregnant women remains below 50%.
Most research studies to understand why coverage has been low have been restricted to single-centre or national studies. To date, the key reasons identified as contributory include the health professionals’ lack of recommendation, low awareness of the disease or of the vaccine and vaccine safety concerns.
While the VCP research team conducted a systematic review of the literature to understand the global factors influencing vaccination acceptance during pregnancy, the study was limited to a review of English scientific papers and there were only a small number of relevant papers to draw conclusions upon. Therefore, to better understand why uptake is low despite the recommendations, the VCP undertook an analysis of attitudes to maternal vaccination.
This multilingual global study (2018-2020) funded by GlaxoSmithKline explored experiences and views towards vaccinating in pregnancy and participating in maternal vaccine trials among pregnant and recently pregnant women globally. We assessed the nature and scope of awareness of maternal vaccines, and explored views and attitudes towards experimental and non-experimental vaccinations in pregnancy.
The study focused on 15 countries – Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Italy, Korea, Mexico, Panama, South Africa, Spain, Taiwan, UK, and USA – and used a mixed methods approach. This included a combination of questionnaire, focus group, and in depth interviews of pregnant women and recently pregnant women. The study also monitored anonymous online media content to assess wider public opinion and perceptions of antenatal vaccines. Data was collected by WIN/Gallup International Association (WIN/GIA) who conducted surveys, in depth interviews and focus groups in the countries stated above.
