An Australian consumer survey on COVID-19 vaccination and pregnancy

ABSTRACT

Pregnant women are more than twice as likely to require intensive care admission and invasive ventilation due to COVID-19 than non-pregnant women of childbearing age, and are a priority vaccination group. The Immunisation Coalition regularly undertakes surveys of the Australian population, to understand attitudes around immunisation, by engaging a private market research company, APMI Partners. A limited report is loaded on the Immunisation Coalition website. The aim was to examine the views of pregnant and recently pregnant women in Australia on COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy, by conducting detailed analyses on the Immunisation Coalition’s survey data. Pregnant and recently pregnant women across Australia were surveyed in November/December 2021 by AMPI Partners, on behalf of the Immunisation Coalition. Pregnant and recently pregnant (had a baby after 17 May 2021) women were eligible for inclusion. The online survey was offered in multiple languages. Descriptive statistics were undertaken. Ethics approval was obtained to conduct detailed analyses on these data. Written consent was obtained from participants. The online survey was completed by 526 women. All states and territories were represented and the demographics were representative. Age ranged from 20-43 years, with a mean of 30.4 years. The survey was completed in a language other than English by 56 (8.6%) women. Overall, 393 (74.7%) women received a COVID-19 vaccination. Reasons for not receiving the vaccine included concerns about the long-term effect on my baby (n=40);the vaccine was developed too quickly (n=39);the side effects of the vaccine on the baby (n=35);and my partner did not want me to (n=21). Midwives were the most trusted source of information for 31 women, with 26 (83.9%) of these women receiving the vaccine. Most women were aware that COVID-19 vaccination was recommended during pregnancy and could access the vaccine if desired. Targeted communication addressing concerns could improve uptake.