Exploring COVID-19 vaccine attitudes among pregnant women: key factors and strategies to enhance uptake

Pregnancy increases the risk of adverse outcomes from many infections. SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy leads to higher risks of adverse pregnancy outcomes, including preterm birth, stillbirth, congenital birth defects, and intrauterine growth restriction. Preventing severe illness from SARS-CoV-2 during pregnancy is crucial for improving health outcomes and is best achieved by COVID-19 vaccination. While vaccination is recommended by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and is safe and efficacious during pregnancy, vaccine uptake among pregnant women is starkly lower than in the general population. Through semi-structured interviews, we assessed attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy and identified key factors influencing decision-making across the healthcare continuum to inform public health interventions. In addition to improving vaccine accessibility and affordability, it is crucial to implement interventions that promote trust in healthcare providers. These efforts are essential to increasing vaccine uptake among this population, providing protection for pregnant women and their children.