Association Between COVID-19 Vaccination Uptake and Socio-Demographic Characteristics Among Pregnant Women in Kenya

Abstract

Background: Vaccination is considered more cost-effective in controlling the spread of COVID19 compared to other preventative measures. Pregnant women infected with COVID19 were likely to have severe COVID19 complications compared to uninfected women. This study examined the relationship between COVID19 vaccination uptake and socio-demographic characteristics among pregnant women in Kenya.
Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis using data from a pilot study examining COVID19 vaccination uptake among pregnant women in Kenya. We used descriptive analysis to report the proportions and chi 2 to assess if there are any significant differences between groups. Our primary outcome was COVID19 vaccination uptake. We performed logistic regressions.
Results: The predominant age groups of study participants were between 25-29 years (45.1%) and 30-39 years (45.1%). The majority of the pregnant had received COVID19 vaccination, with 87% having completed the full vaccine dosage. There was a higher uptake of adenovirus vector vaccines compared to mRNA COVID19 vaccines. Pregnant women between 30-39 years were 3.81 times more likely to have received COVID19 vaccination compared to those 25-29 years (aOR: 3.81; 95% CI: 1.28 -11.39, P=.017). After adjustment, workplace requirements for COVID-19 vaccination were associated with increased odds of vaccination (aOR: 4.65; 95% CI 1.32-16.42). The study did not show any significant relationship between comorbid conditions during pregnancy and COVID19 vaccination
Discussion: The variations of uptake by age-group cohorts, education levels, and vaccine workplace requirements suggest a need for further and more robust research on COVID19 vaccination among pregnant women. While workplace vaccination requirements may have prompted COVID19 vaccination among pregnant women in this sample, the results cannot be generalized to the general population. However, our findings underscore the importance of effective public health policies at the institutional, local and national levels.