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Vaccine Willingness and Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Women’s Perinatal Experiences and Practices—A Multinational, Cross-Sectional Study Covering the First Wave of the Pandemic

Author

Listed:
  • Michael Ceulemans

    (Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
    Teratology Information Service, Pharmacovigilance Centre Lareb, 5237 MH ‘s Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands)

  • Veerle Foulon

    (Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium)

  • Alice Panchaud

    (Service of Pharmacy, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
    Institute of Primary Health Care (BIHAM), University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland)

  • Ursula Winterfeld

    (Swiss Teratogen Information Service, Service de Pharmacologie Clinique, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland)

  • Léo Pomar

    (Materno-Fetal and Obstetrics Research Unit, Lausanne University Hospital, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland)

  • Valentine Lambelet

    (Materno-Fetal and Obstetrics Research Unit, Lausanne University Hospital, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland)

  • Brian Cleary

    (Rotunda Hospital, D01 P5W9 Dublin, Ireland
    School of Pharmacy, Royal College of Surgeons Ireland, D02 VN51 Dublin, Ireland)

  • Fergal O’Shaughnessy

    (Rotunda Hospital, D01 P5W9 Dublin, Ireland
    School of Pharmacy, Royal College of Surgeons Ireland, D02 VN51 Dublin, Ireland)

  • Anneke Passier

    (Teratology Information Service, Pharmacovigilance Centre Lareb, 5237 MH ‘s Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands)

  • Jonathan Luke Richardson

    (UK Teratology Information Service, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4AB, UK)

  • Karel Allegaert

    (Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
    Woman and Child, Department of Development and Regeneration, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
    Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Erasmus MC Sophia Children’s Hospital, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands)

  • Hedvig Nordeng

    (Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety Research Group, Department of Pharmacy, and PharmaTox Strategic Initiative, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Oslo, 0316 Oslo, Norway
    Department of Child Health and Development, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, 0213 Oslo, Norway)

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic may be of particular concern for pregnant and breastfeeding women. We aimed to explore their beliefs about the coronavirus and COVID-19 vaccine willingness and to assess the impact of the pandemic on perinatal experiences and practices. A multinational, cross-sectional, web-based study was performed in six European countries between April and July 2020. The anonymous survey was promoted via social media. In total, 16,063 women participated (including 6661 pregnant and 9402 breastfeeding women). Most responses were collected from Belgium (44%), Norway (18%) and the Netherlands (16%), followed by Switzerland (11%), Ireland (10%) and the UK (3%). Despite differences between countries, COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy was identified among 40–50% of the respondents at the end of the first wave of the pandemic and was higher among pregnant women. Education level and employment status were associated with vaccine hesitancy. The first wave had an adverse impact on pregnancy experiences and disrupted access to health services and breastfeeding support for many women. In the future, access to health care and support should be maintained at all times. Evidence-based and tailored information on COVID-19 vaccines should also be provided to pregnant and breastfeeding women to avoid unfounded concerns about the vaccines and to support shared decision making in this population.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael Ceulemans & Veerle Foulon & Alice Panchaud & Ursula Winterfeld & Léo Pomar & Valentine Lambelet & Brian Cleary & Fergal O’Shaughnessy & Anneke Passier & Jonathan Luke Richardson & Karel Allega, 2021. "Vaccine Willingness and Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Women’s Perinatal Experiences and Practices—A Multinational, Cross-Sectional Study Covering the First Wave of the Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(7), pages 1-14, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:7:p:3367-:d:523399
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Michael Ceulemans & Jan Y. Verbakel & Kristel Van Calsteren & An Eerdekens & Karel Allegaert & Veerle Foulon, 2020. "SARS-CoV-2 Infections and Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Pregnancy and Breastfeeding: Results from an Observational Study in Primary Care in Belgium," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(18), pages 1-10, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Eva Gerbier & Guillaume Favre & Fatima Tauqeer & Ursula Winterfeld & Milos Stojanov & Alison Oliver & Anneke Passier & Hedvig Nordeng & Léo Pomar & David Baud & Alice Panchaud & Carla Meyer-Massetti &, 2022. "Self-Reported Medication Use among Pregnant and Postpartum Women during the Third Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A European Multinational Cross-Sectional Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-16, April.

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