COVID‑19 vaccination acceptance and adherence among pregnant and lactating high‑risk group individuals of Maharashtra State, India

Since the outbreak of the pandemic, the release of the COVID (Corona Virus Disease)‑19 vaccine was highly anticipated. Nevertheless, vaccine availability does not symbolize the end of pandemic due to ongoing vaccine hesitancy and anti‑vaccination movements. The objective of this study is to evaluate COVID‑19 vaccine acceptance among pregnant and lactating individuals in Maharashtra state, India.

A descriptive cross‑sectional study was conducted via a hybrid approach using various digital portals such as Whatsapp, telegram, and physical distribution to those who did not have access to smartphone devices. A probability proportional sampling strategy was deployed. A pre‑validated structured self‑administered questionnaire tool designed by Freeman et al. 2020 (Oxford COVID‑19 vaccine hesitancy scale) was used, which consisted of seven close‑ended targeted and focused questions. Analysis of several survey items and vaccine acceptance was conducted using the Chi‑square test.

Analysis revealed that 58% of individuals were willing to take vaccines after government approval and 26% of individuals showed hesitancy toward vaccination. When compared, lactating individuals showed less vaccine hesitancy (22%) than pregnant individuals (27%). The maximum vaccine hesitancy was observed in the third trimester of pregnancy (29.5%).

Trust in vaccines is a crucial factor and is dependent on the ability of the government in promoting vaccines through effective communication; this can be one of the reasons for the high level of acceptance and awareness toward COVID‑19 vaccination in this study.