COVID-19 vaccine literacy and vaccine hesitancy among pregnant women and mothers of young children in Japan.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Delays in the spread of vaccination have been recognized as an urgent public health issue in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Vaccine literacy (VL) is a critical determinant of vaccine uptake; however, little is known about VL among pregnant women and mothers of young children.

Methods

We analyzed data from a nationwide, cross-sectional internet survey in Japan on VL and vaccine hesitancy, conducted with 1,639 pregnant women and 5,688 mothers of young children who had given birth after July 2019, between July 24 and August 30, 2021.

Results

Vaccine hesitancy was observed in 51.1 % of pregnant women and 31.9 % of mothers of young children. The risk of vaccine hesitancy was significantly higher among pregnant women with lower interactive/critical skills

SUBMITTER: Takahashi Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9574944 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature