Dear Editor,
We would like to discuss "Sociodemographic predictors of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and leading concerns with COVID-19 vaccines among pregnant women at a South Texas clinic [Citation1].” In light of the evolving discussions surrounding COVID-19, Sutanto et al. [Citation1] discovered sociodemographic predictors of COVID-19 vaccine reluctance and clarified significant concerns among the pregnant community. According to Sutano et al. pregnant women who were wary of the COVID-19 vaccine were more likely to be younger, wary of other vaccines, and worried about the vaccine’s potential effects on their unborn children and its dangerous contents [Citation1]. According to Sutano et al. in contrast to earlier studies on this subject, access to vaccines and worries about quality control were not cited as reasons for vaccine hesitancy. Personal knowledge of other pregnant women who had received vaccinations was also associated with noticeably higher vaccine acceptance rates [Citation1]. The current study by Sutanto et al. provides specific information on vaccine hesitancy in pregnant women, a group for which there is little information on the pattern of hesitancy. This is a significant strength of the current report. The current study, however, is a cross sectional study with a limited assessment of background factors that might be related to the vaccine hesitancy issue, which is thought to be a significant study weakness. For instance, a link has been shown between vaccine phobia and trust in the local healthcare system [Citation2]. How much a person trusts the local public health administration determines how willing they are to adopt public health solutions during a crisis. How much people trust their local public health crisis response determines how inclined they are to implement public health measures for managing disease epidemics during the COVID-19 pandemic [Citation3]. In comparison to traditional news sources, researchers, and government agencies, one study found a significant correlation between vaccine-resistant participants and the likelihood of learning about COVID-19 from social media [Citation4]. Political polarization has also been shown to be a reliable indicator of vaccine reluctance [Citation5]. In Thailand, for example, respondents who had received vaccinations reported having more trust in the government. Pfizer preference was linked to anti-government attitudes, whereas AstraZeneca preference was linked to support for pro-government political parties [Citation6]. Another report from India found that the influence of political and religious leaders as well as the role of the government were crucial elements in the community’s acceptance of vaccination [Citation7]. According to the report on the situation in Pakistan and the Philippines, perceptions of trust were related to intergroup psychology, such that vaccine donations from political opponents were trusted less [Citation8]
Basically, a person’s perspective on immunizations varies depending on several background factors. Increasing public confidence in authorities, professionals, and scientists is essential for raising immunization rates, as was previously mentioned. As was previously mentioned, an excellent example is the situation in Indochina, where many locals lacked trust and rejected a vaccination recommendation from a pro-government local scientist who promoted the inactivated COVID-19 vaccine [Citation6].
Finally, the public health education plays very important role in promoting vaccine acceptance among local people. Local campaigns to restrict COVID-19 may face support or opposition for a variety of reasons. For instance, a link has been shown between vaccine phobia and trust in the local healthcare system [Citation2]. How prepared someone is to implement public health measures following a disaster depends on how much they trust their local public health agency. According to the study, an individual’s viewpoint on vaccinations changes depending on their background. Long-term research can give a more thorough picture of how the utilization of the COVID-19 vaccine has been altered over time because there is a significant variation. In order to create methods that can reassure pregnant women, it is interesting to compare vaccine reluctance amongst nations. Recent reports from Italy and Russia claim that vaccination campaigns seem to make mothers more anxious, and that this rise is more pronounced when mothers have a negative attitude about vaccination [Citation7]. To prevent further uncertainty, Carbone et al. recommended including pregnant women in future vaccine development trials [Citation8].
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References
- Sutanto MY, Hosek MG, Stumpff SK, et al. Sociodemographic predictors of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and leading concerns with COVID-19 vaccines among pregnant women at a South Texas clinic. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2022;35(26):10368–10374. doi:10.1080/14767058.2022.2128652.
- Sookaromdee P, Wiwanitkit V. Factors influencing COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and hesitancy: correspondence. Hum Vaccin Immunother. 2022;18(5):2085471.
- Mungmunpuntipantip R, Wiwanitkit V. COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy. Recenti Prog Med. 2021;112(9):596.
- Murphy J, Vallières F, Bentall RP, et al. Psychological characteristics associated with COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and resistance in Ireland and the United Kingdom. Nat Commun. 2021;12(1):29. doi:10.1038/s41467-020-20226-9.
- Payberah E, Payberah D, Sarangi A, et al. COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in patients with mental illness: strategies to overcome barriers—a review. J Egypt Public Health Assoc. 2022;97:5. doi:10.1186/s42506-022-00102-8.
- Goodwin R, Nguyen Luu LA, Wiwattanapantuwong J, et al. Two-tailed dogs, social unrest and COVID-19 vaccination: politics, hesitancy and vaccine choice in Hungary and Thailand. Vaccines. 2022;10(5):789. doi:10.3390/vaccines10050789.
- Mappa I, Luviso M, Distefano FA, et al. Women perception of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination during pregnancy and subsequent maternal anxiety: a prospective observational study. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2022;35(25):6302–6305.
- Carbone L, Mappa I, Sirico A, et al. Pregnant women’s perspectives on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 vaccine. Am J Obstet Gynecol MFM. 2021;3(4):100352. doi:10.1016/j.ajogmf.2021.100352.