FRIDAY, Jan. 19, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Pregnant patients are more likely to accept COVID-19 vaccination if they receive other routine vaccines during pregnancy, according to a study published in the December issue of the Journal of Infection.

Laura Ha, M.D., from Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, and colleagues examined the association between acceptance of tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis (Tdap) and influenza vaccines, considered to be routine pregnancy vaccines, and COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. The analysis included 7,857 patients who delivered between December 2020 and March 2022.

The researchers found that 56.1 percent of patients accepted the COVID-19 vaccine. Nearly all patients who received the COVID-19 vaccine received influenza and Tdap vaccines (97.6 and 88.5 percent, respectively). Patients with advanced maternal age, obesity, Asian race, and private insurance were more likely to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. COVID-19 vaccine acceptance was associated with receipt of Tdap (adjusted odds ratio, 2.10) and influenza vaccines (adjusted odds ratio, 2.83). There were no differences in adverse outcomes (e.g., preterm birth, low birthweight, and neonatal intensive care unit admission) between those receiving and not receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.

“Disparities in COVID-19 vaccination uptake bear further exploration to guide efforts in equitable and widespread vaccine distribution for current and future pandemics,” the authors write.

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