Influenza vaccination hesitancy and related factors among pregnant and breastfeeding women: A cross-sectional study
Achieving safe influenza vaccination coverage among pregnant and breastfeeding women is a global health goal due to the potential risks of serious influenza for both mother and child. However, vaccine hesitancy remains a significant barrier to vaccination uptake. Since anxiety represents a determina...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2025-12-01
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| Series: | Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics |
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| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/21645515.2025.2450858 |
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| author | Dania Comparcini Giancarlo Cicolini Melania Totaro Letizia Governatori Francesco Pastore Daniela Miniscalco Maria Elena Flacco Eustachio Cuscianna Silvio Tafuri Valentina Simonetti |
| author_facet | Dania Comparcini Giancarlo Cicolini Melania Totaro Letizia Governatori Francesco Pastore Daniela Miniscalco Maria Elena Flacco Eustachio Cuscianna Silvio Tafuri Valentina Simonetti |
| author_sort | Dania Comparcini |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Achieving safe influenza vaccination coverage among pregnant and breastfeeding women is a global health goal due to the potential risks of serious influenza for both mother and child. However, vaccine hesitancy remains a significant barrier to vaccination uptake. Since anxiety represents a determinant in vaccine decision-making, this study aimed to assess influenza vaccination hesitancy and anxiety levels in this population and to explore the association between women’s characteristics, their reluctance, and anxiety levels. A multicentre, cross-sectional study was conducted between February and June 2022 using structured phone interviews to assess: (1) socio-demographics and clinical history; (2) anti-flu vaccination status, previous anti-flu vaccination, and Sars-CoV-2 infection history; (3) insights into influenza vaccination during pregnancy; (4) attitudes toward anti-flu vaccination, using the Vaccination Attitudes Examination (VAX) Scale; (5) anxiety levels, measured by the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS). Among the 387 participants, 22.8% were already vaccinated or expressed willingness to be vaccinated against influenza, and 54% had an anxiety disorder. While anxiety was not significantly associated with vaccine hesitancy, ongoing pregnancy emerged as an independent predictor of anxiety. Higher educational levels, ongoing pregnancy, already being vaccinated or willingness to get vaccinated, and being employed were associated with reduced vaccine hesitancy, while prior SARS-CoV-2 infection with increased hesitancy. Fear of unpredictable events and lack of healthcare professionals’ recommendations emerged as reasons for vaccine reluctance. Given the low coverage rates, these findings highlight the need for health services to enhance vaccination efforts and provide clear recommendations to counter misinformation and ensure accurate vaccine safety information. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d8e988ae34b74b3a910efd7682da1829 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2164-5515 2164-554X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics |
| spelling | doaj-art-d8e988ae34b74b3a910efd7682da18292025-01-15T02:02:08ZengTaylor & Francis GroupHuman Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics2164-55152164-554X2025-12-0121110.1080/21645515.2025.2450858Influenza vaccination hesitancy and related factors among pregnant and breastfeeding women: A cross-sectional studyDania Comparcini0Giancarlo Cicolini1Melania Totaro2Letizia Governatori3Francesco Pastore4Daniela Miniscalco5Maria Elena Flacco6Eustachio Cuscianna7Silvio Tafuri8Valentina Simonetti9Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, “Aldo Moro” University of Bari, Bari, ItalyDepartment of Innovative Technologies in Medicine & Dentistry, “G. d’Annunzio” University of Chieti – Pescara, Chieti, ItalyDepartment of Biomedicine and Prevention, TorVergata University, Rome, ItalyDepartment of General and Specialistic Surgery, Adult and Pediatric Orthopaedics Clinic, University Hospital “Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria delle Marche”, Ancona, ItalyDepartment of Biomedicine and Prevention, TorVergata University, Rome, ItalyDaniela MINISCALCO, RN, Nursing Home of Ascoli Piceno, Ascoli Piceno, ItalyDepartment of Environmental and Prevention Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, ItalyInterdisciplinary Department of Medicine, “Aldo Moro” University of Bari, Bari, ItalyInterdisciplinary Department of Medicine, “Aldo Moro” University of Bari, Bari, ItalyDepartment of Innovative Technologies in Medicine & Dentistry, “G. d’Annunzio” University of Chieti – Pescara, Chieti, ItalyAchieving safe influenza vaccination coverage among pregnant and breastfeeding women is a global health goal due to the potential risks of serious influenza for both mother and child. However, vaccine hesitancy remains a significant barrier to vaccination uptake. Since anxiety represents a determinant in vaccine decision-making, this study aimed to assess influenza vaccination hesitancy and anxiety levels in this population and to explore the association between women’s characteristics, their reluctance, and anxiety levels. A multicentre, cross-sectional study was conducted between February and June 2022 using structured phone interviews to assess: (1) socio-demographics and clinical history; (2) anti-flu vaccination status, previous anti-flu vaccination, and Sars-CoV-2 infection history; (3) insights into influenza vaccination during pregnancy; (4) attitudes toward anti-flu vaccination, using the Vaccination Attitudes Examination (VAX) Scale; (5) anxiety levels, measured by the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS). Among the 387 participants, 22.8% were already vaccinated or expressed willingness to be vaccinated against influenza, and 54% had an anxiety disorder. While anxiety was not significantly associated with vaccine hesitancy, ongoing pregnancy emerged as an independent predictor of anxiety. Higher educational levels, ongoing pregnancy, already being vaccinated or willingness to get vaccinated, and being employed were associated with reduced vaccine hesitancy, while prior SARS-CoV-2 infection with increased hesitancy. Fear of unpredictable events and lack of healthcare professionals’ recommendations emerged as reasons for vaccine reluctance. Given the low coverage rates, these findings highlight the need for health services to enhance vaccination efforts and provide clear recommendations to counter misinformation and ensure accurate vaccine safety information.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/21645515.2025.2450858Influenzavaccination hesitancyvaccination attitudepregnancybreastfeeding |
| spellingShingle | Dania Comparcini Giancarlo Cicolini Melania Totaro Letizia Governatori Francesco Pastore Daniela Miniscalco Maria Elena Flacco Eustachio Cuscianna Silvio Tafuri Valentina Simonetti Influenza vaccination hesitancy and related factors among pregnant and breastfeeding women: A cross-sectional study Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics Influenza vaccination hesitancy vaccination attitude pregnancy breastfeeding |
| title | Influenza vaccination hesitancy and related factors among pregnant and breastfeeding women: A cross-sectional study |
| title_full | Influenza vaccination hesitancy and related factors among pregnant and breastfeeding women: A cross-sectional study |
| title_fullStr | Influenza vaccination hesitancy and related factors among pregnant and breastfeeding women: A cross-sectional study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Influenza vaccination hesitancy and related factors among pregnant and breastfeeding women: A cross-sectional study |
| title_short | Influenza vaccination hesitancy and related factors among pregnant and breastfeeding women: A cross-sectional study |
| title_sort | influenza vaccination hesitancy and related factors among pregnant and breastfeeding women a cross sectional study |
| topic | Influenza vaccination hesitancy vaccination attitude pregnancy breastfeeding |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/21645515.2025.2450858 |
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