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. 2023 Jul 17:11:1221788.
doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1221788. eCollection 2023.

COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among pregnant women: a hospital-based cross-sectional study in Sudan

Saeed M Omar  1 , Osama S Osman  1 , Rehana Khalil  2 , Osama Al-Wutayd  2 , Ishag Adam  3
Affiliations

COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among pregnant women: a hospital-based cross-sectional study in Sudan

Saeed M Omar et al. Front Public Health. .

Abstract

Introduction: Pregnancy increases the risk of developing a severe illness due to COVID-19 infection. To the best of our knowledge, no previous study has been conducted on COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among pregnant women in Sudan. Hence, this study aimed to determine COVID-19 vaccination acceptance and its predictors among pregnant women.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 623 pregnant women attending Gadarif maternity hospital in eastern Sudan through a structured questionnaire. Data were obtained on sociodemographic characteristics, obstetric and health-related characteristics, COVID-19 infection, and vaccination-related information, as well as beliefs about and acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination.

Results: COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among the pregnant women was 2.7%. The vaccine acceptance was higher if their husband's education was secondary school or higher [adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 4.30, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.11-16.65, p = 0.035] and discussion of COVID-19 vaccine with the pregnant women by a health care professional in the hospital (AOR 5.46, 95% CI 1.94-15.35, p < 0.001). The most common reasons for resistance to the vaccine were concerns about the side effects of the vaccine for the mother and her baby.

Conclusion: Acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccination among the pregnant women was very low. Discussions with pregnant women and their husbands by health care professionals regarding the safety of COVID-19 vaccine for the mother and her baby are highly recommended.

Keywords: COVID-19; COVID-19 vaccine; Sudan; acceptance; pregnancy.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow diagram of the study participants.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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