Annalisa Rosso1, Azzurra Massimi2, Corrado De Vito3, Giovanna Adamo4, Valentina Baccolini5, Carolina Marzuillo6, Maria Rosaria Vacchio7, Paolo Villari8. 1. Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy. Electronic address: annalisa.rosso@uniroma1.it. 2. Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy. Electronic address: azzurra.massimi@uniroma1.it. 3. Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy. Electronic address: corrado.devito@uniroma1.it. 4. Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy. Electronic address: giovanna.adamo@uniroma1.it. 5. Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy. Electronic address: valentina.baccolini@uniroma1.it. 6. Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy. Electronic address: carolina.marzuillo@uniroma1.it. 7. Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy. Electronic address: rosaria.vacchio@uniroma1.it. 8. Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy. Electronic address: paolo.villari@uniroma1.it.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: In recent years, pediatric immunization rates in Italy have decreased well below the recommended thresholds, largely due to an increase in scepticism about the efficacy and safety of vaccines. We aimed to identify the degree of such scepticism, and the factors driving it, among a sample of pregnant women in the City of Rome. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey on a sample of pregnant women attending antenatal classes (CANs) in Rome through distribution of a self-administered questionnaire. Multiple logistic regression models were built to analyze the determinants of knowledge, attitudes and intention to vaccinate in this population. RESULTS: A total of 458 pregnant women attending CANs in 36 family health centers and two hospitals in Rome answered the survey. Mean age was 32.9 (±5.0) years, and over 90% of women were in their first pregnancy. More than 26% of respondents showed a good level of knowledge of the safety and efficacy of vaccines, but there were high rates of uncertainty or agreement with some of the most common anti-vaccination sentiments. Only 75% of women were sure about vaccinating their children with the hexavalent vaccine, and 64.3% with MMR. A good level of knowledge was the strongest predictor of positive attitudes towards vaccination (OR 11.61, 95% CI 6.43-20.96), which, in turn, influenced the intention to vaccinate for most vaccines with the perception of the benefit of immunization for protection against disease. CONCLUSIONS: Scepticism about the safety, efficacy and importance of vaccines is associated to pregnant women's hesitancy to vaccinate their children, suggesting the need to develop strategies to increase vaccine acceptance in the antenatal period. The capacity of health care professionals, particularly midwives, to correctly deliver information to future parents should be strengthened in order to reduce the spread of misinformation and fear of vaccine safety.
BACKGROUND: In recent years, pediatric immunization rates in Italy have decreased well below the recommended thresholds, largely due to an increase in scepticism about the efficacy and safety of vaccines. We aimed to identify the degree of such scepticism, and the factors driving it, among a sample of pregnant women in the City of Rome. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey on a sample of pregnant women attending antenatal classes (CANs) in Rome through distribution of a self-administered questionnaire. Multiple logistic regression models were built to analyze the determinants of knowledge, attitudes and intention to vaccinate in this population. RESULTS: A total of 458 pregnant women attending CANs in 36 family health centers and two hospitals in Rome answered the survey. Mean age was 32.9 (±5.0) years, and over 90% of women were in their first pregnancy. More than 26% of respondents showed a good level of knowledge of the safety and efficacy of vaccines, but there were high rates of uncertainty or agreement with some of the most common anti-vaccination sentiments. Only 75% of women were sure about vaccinating their children with the hexavalent vaccine, and 64.3% with MMR. A good level of knowledge was the strongest predictor of positive attitudes towards vaccination (OR 11.61, 95% CI 6.43-20.96), which, in turn, influenced the intention to vaccinate for most vaccines with the perception of the benefit of immunization for protection against disease. CONCLUSIONS: Scepticism about the safety, efficacy and importance of vaccines is associated to pregnant women's hesitancy to vaccinate their children, suggesting the need to develop strategies to increase vaccine acceptance in the antenatal period. The capacity of health care professionals, particularly midwives, to correctly deliver information to future parents should be strengthened in order to reduce the spread of misinformation and fear of vaccine safety.
Authors: Eve Dubé; Dominique Gagnon; Kyla Kaminsky; Courtney R Green; Manale Ouakki; Julie A Bettinger; Nicholas Brousseau; Eliana Castillo; Natasha S Crowcroft; S Michelle Driedger; Devon Greyson; Deshayne Fell; William Fisher; Arnaud Gagneur; Maryse Guay; Donna Halperin; Scott A Halperin; Shannon MacDonald; Samantha B Meyer; Nancy M Waite; Kumanan Wilson; Holly O Witteman; Mark Yudin; Jocelynn L Cook Journal: Hum Vaccin Immunother Date: 2020-04-09 Impact factor: 3.452
Authors: Majdi M Sabahelzain; Mohamed Moukhyer; Eve Dubé; Ahmed Hardan; Bart van den Borne; Hans Bosma Journal: PLoS One Date: 2019-06-20 Impact factor: 3.240