Women of childbearing age have highest rate of misconceptions about vaccine safety during pregnancy: U.S. survey

Women of childbearing age are more likely than other adults to fear that vaccination during pregnancy is unsafe, according to a new U.S. report, despite evidence to the contrary.

The report found that women aged 18-49 years old were more likely to be worried that a vaccine against COVID-19 or influenza during pregnancy wasn’t safe, compared to all adult men and to women aged 50 and older.

Health experts have emphasized that the flu shot and the COVID-19 vaccine are both safe to receive during any stage of pregnancy. 

Health Canada also recommends the flu shot and the COVID-19 vaccine for pregnant people because they are at a higher risk of more severe illness if they catch the flu or COVID-19.

However, this study shows that anxieties surrounding vaccination during pregnancy are persistent for some people, suggesting that public health experts may need to try new tactics to reach those who are still concerned.

“Because the COVID and flu vaccines help protect both those who are pregnant and their infants, dispatching misconceptions about them should be a public health priority,” Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania, said in a press release. “That women of childbearing age are showing doubt in the safety of current, authorized vaccines is worrisome.”

The report was published Monday as a project of the Annenberg Health & Risk Communication Institute with the Annenberg Public Policy Centre of the University of Pennsylvania.

Researchers drew on survey data from a nationally-representative panel. There were 10 waves of the survey, with the most recent data drawn rom a survey of 1,657 respondents in mid-January.

The survey found that while 53 per cent of women of childbearing age knew that the seasonal flu vaccine was safe for pregnant women, 17 per cent incorrectly stated that this was false.

The percentage of those who responded that they had “doubts” that it was safe was much higher among women aged 18-49 than other groups, with a further 17 per cent stating they had doubts compared to just four per cent of women aged 50 and older, and nine per cent of adult men.

When it came to the COVID-19 vaccine, the trend was even clearer.

Data from a previous wave of surveys done in August 2022 with more than 1,600 participants showed that less than half of women of childbearing age knew that the COVID-19 vaccine was safe and effective for pregnant people.

Meanwhile, 31 per cent incorrectly selected “false” when asked if the COVID-19 vaccine was safe and effective during pregnancy.

This misconception was seen in much smaller numbers among women aged 50 and older (15 per cent) and adult men (19 per cent).

However, women aged 50 and older had the largest percentage of respondents who were “not sure” if it was safe, with 39 per cent selecting this option. Around 28 per cent of women aged 18-49 said they were not sure of the safety and efficacy, which was the same percentage as all adult men.

Numerous studies have demonstrated that the COVID-19 vaccine is safe for pregnant people, and that it doesn’t have detrimental impacts on either the mother or the infant. Health Canada notes that vaccinated people are also able to pass some antibodies to their baby through the placenta and breast milk.

On the other hand, contracting COVID-19 while pregnant can lead to more severe outcomes for the mother in terms of chances of hospitalization and even death. It also has been associated with premature birth, lower birth weight and a higher rate of infants being admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit, according to Health Canada.

The U.S. report noted an association between the participants’ responses and whether or not they had received the COVID-19 vaccine themselves.

Around 59 per cent of women aged 18-49 who reported they were fully vaccinated also correctly stated that the COVID-19 vaccine was safe and effective during pregnancy, compared to just eight per cent who reported they weren’t vaccinated.

Women aged 18-49 who were not vaccinated overwhelmingly believed the vaccine wasn’t safe during pregnancy, at 70 per cent.

The report also looked at whether or not U.S. adults were aware that the risk of myocarditis — an inflammation of the heart muscle — is higher among COVID-19 patients than as a result of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Although there has been evidence that the risk of developing myocarditis increases slightly in men under the age of 40 after receiving an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, infection with COVID-19 has a much higher risk of myocarditis.

Nearly half of the participants were unsure whether COVID-19 or the vaccine carried a higher risk of myocarditis, at 47 per cent.

The report also looked at public perceptions surrounding polio, confidence in public health representatives and prevalence of mental health struggles.