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Dorn, Karyann

University of British Columbia

An active pandemic is a global crisis, COVID-19 began in the winter of 2019 and is responsible for over 6.9 million deaths worldwide (WHO, 2023). The most effective option for preventing hospitalization and mortality due to the global pandemic is the new COVID-19 vaccine. Pregnant persons at high risk for COVID-19 were given conflicting advice during the early vaccine roll-out due to a lack of data from the original trials. Limited vaccine safety data for pregnancy made them more vulnerable to misinformation on social media. This qualitative descriptive study aimed to clarify the perceptions and concerns of pregnant individuals residing in British Columbia who received or were hesitant towards a COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy, and to situate their responses in relation to the broader challenges of the global health crisis. By describing their perceptions, beliefs, and concerns, the participants in this study contributed to understanding the influences that deter or encourage receiving the COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy. In the fall of 2021, 25 pregnant British Columbians were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide. The health belief model was used to analyze the data, which focused on participants' perceptions of COVID-19 susceptibility and severity, benefits and barriers to vaccines, and cues to action. Similar to pregnant people worldwide, they faced difficulty in deciding to receive the new COVID-19 during an active pandemic. Participants described it as a “very difficult decision,” and their “biggest fear is the effects on the unborn baby.” Their responses showed they recognized their susceptibility to COVID-19, even if they disagreed with its severity. Traditional constructs of the health belief model, such as cues from family and friends, were less influential on participants’ vaccine choices, and disinformation from social media influencers has created a modern barrier to receiving vaccines during pregnancy. Another influential factor was “the health practitioner who took time to validate their concerns” and “were invested and did not laugh at their fears.” COVID-19 vaccines will become seasonal, and promotional materials should emphasize the risks of the virus and that the vaccine is safe during pregnancy. The clinical recommendation is to advocate for patient-centered care: a maternity healthcare practitioner who will make time to listen and answer questions on the vaccine using transparency.

Text

2023-09-07

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/85875

Interdisciplinary Studies

University of British Columbia

UBCO

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/