The prevalence of COVID vaccine acceptance among pregnant women: A systematic review and meta-analysis

ABSTRACT

COVID pandemic has massively hit every nook of the world. Millions of people were infected and lost their lives to the deadly pandemic. This novel virus destroyed the essential healthcare service globally. Mass vaccination is the only option to halt the virus transmission. This study aimed to estimate the acceptance of the COVID vaccine among pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers. Method: We followed Cochrane collaboration guidelines and the PRISMA reporting system. Studies were identified through a systematic search of indexed articles in Medline (PubMed), Clinical key, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, and CINAHL databases until March 10, 2022, 26,995 articles were identified in the initial search and 24 articles were included in the review. Result: Twenty four studies comprise 22,947 pregnant and 11,022 breastfeeding women. About 54% of pregnant women and 59% of breastfeeding mothers intended to take the COVID vaccination. Among the pregnant mothers, 21% with comorbidities, 14% in the first trimester, 34% in the second trimester, and 51% in the third trimester were willing to take the COVID vaccine. Risks of infections and comorbidities were the reasons for acceptance of the COVID vaccine in pregnant women. Similarly, adverse effects and safety concerns were top indicators for the rejection of the COVID vaccine. Conclusion: The acceptance of COVID vaccination among pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers are not satisfactory. Therefore, timely guidance would help to address the negative perceptions of vaccines among pregnant women.