More than half of women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant are very likely to get vaccinated against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) during pregnancy, according to a study published online April 25 in Pediatrics.
Jennifer K. Saper, M.D., from the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, and colleagues characterized interest in RSV vaccination during pregnancy among women who were pregnant or planning to become pregnant. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among individuals aged 18 to 45 years who were currently pregnant or trying to become pregnant in March 2023.
Overall, 1,528 of the 1,619 completed surveys were analyzed. The researchers found that 54 percent of respondents indicated being “very likely” to get vaccinated against RSV during pregnancy. The strongest predictor of vaccination likelihood was the perception of RSV as a serious illness. Predicted proportions of those “very likely” to vaccinate against RSV followed a similar pattern in the full regression model (63, 55, and 35 percent if RSV infection was perceived as serious and likely, serious and unlikely, and not serious, respectively).
“Educational efforts about protection against RSV illness in infants through vaccination during pregnancy and the consequent positive health implications for children may be a key component of public health and health care strategies to encourage RSV vaccination among pregnant individuals,” the authors write.
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