Article PDF :

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Article type :

Original Article

Author :

Hanif Shaikh*, Vaishali Undale, Anil Pardeshi, Shweta Jadhav, Pratiksha Jagtap, Parth Aphale, Anand Kawade, Mahesh Asalkar, Suneth Agampodi, Aman Upaganlawar, Chandrashekhar Upasani

Volume :

11

Issue :

3

Abstract :

Background: This cross-sectional study was aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, awareness, facilitators, and barriers associated with the uptake of influenza vaccination during pregnancy in the urban area of Pune. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted with 500 participants: 62 pregnant women and 438 postpartum women (total 524 were approached) attending Obstetrics and Gynaecology outpatient department (OPD) in a tertiary-care municipal hospital in Pune. The study-questionnaire collected data regarding socio-demographics general knowledge about influenza, attitude towards influenza vaccination, vaccine risk awareness, and its potential risk and benefits during pregnancy. The log-binomial regression models were used to examine the factors associated with influenza vaccination. Results : A good uptake of the vaccine (223/500, 44.6%) was found during current pregnancy of the participant; however, only 2.7% of study-participants vaccinated with influenza vaccine in their previous pregnancies. Also, there was poor awareness among all the participants regarding the safety of the seasonal influenza vaccine during pregnancy (19%, n=95/500). 11.2% (n=31/277) study-participants were found to be against the maternal influenza vaccination. Women receiving the vaccine against influenza were more likely to be previously informed of the recommendations from health-care providers about maternal influenza vaccination with odds ratio of 0.18 (95% CI, 0.04 to 0.8; p Conclusion: This study concludes the vital causative factors for non-vaccination were provision of incomplete information or poor awareness about influenza vaccination (68.6%). There was poor knowledge among the pregnant women regarding the safety of maternal influenza vaccines. The recommendation from healthcare professionals is the major facilitators of decision-making by pregnant women for influenza vaccination during pregnancy.