Social contact and COVID vaccination rates for pregnant women in 19 European countries

In a recent study posted on medRxiv* Researchers at the Preprint Server, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Hasselt University have found that social contact patterns and coronavirus disease 2019 in women in 19 European countries who became pregnant between March 2020 and September 2021 ( COVID-19) We investigated the intake of the vaccine.

study: Pregnancy during COVID-19: Social contact patterns and vaccination rates of pregnant women with CoMix in 19 European countries.. Image Credit: Nicoleta Ionescu / Shutterstock

Background

It is important for pregnant women to receive more psychosocial support to deal with the emotions and stresses of this important childbirth stage. However, due to the reduced social contact during a pandemic with coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a severe acute respiratory syndrome in 2020, pregnant women are further challenged by concerns about being infected with COVID-19. Had to face.

About research

In this study, researchers used data from CoMix, an online social contact survey. In this survey, representative samples from 19 countries in Europe were solicited and followed up. During the COVID-19 pandemic process, we collected information on the awareness, social contact and health of the adult population. In addition, they asked study participants about their risk awareness and COVID-19 vaccination status.

The team analyzed data on pregnant women aged 18-49 years and age-matched non-pregnant women and men who participated in the CoMix study. Before exclusion, we included all survey participants in 7-10 survey rounds.

Researchers used clustered bootstraps to calculate the average percentage of individuals eligible for quarantine and vaccination by gender and pregnancy status. They used a generalized additive mixed model (GAMM) to calculate average adjusted contacts reported in various settings, including home, work, and other social settings. Researchers have modeled the reported social contacts using the loglink function, based on the assumption that they follow a negative binomial distribution.

The team obtained non-pharmaceutical intervention (NPI) data measured by the Overall Stringency Index (SI) implemented during the OxCGRT project. SI provides a systematic way to quantify the rigors of blockade policies that limit social behavior with values ​​ranging from zero (the least strict limit) to 100.

Number of surveys conducted by pregnant women by country between March 23, 2020 and September 12, 2021 Not all countries are labeled. The dashed line represents January 1, 2021.

Survey results

The authors made 4,129 observations from 1,041 pregnant women and found that they had less contact than non-pregnant women. Therefore, during most studies, about 15-20% of pregnant women remained in quarantine. In contrast, less than 20% of non-pregnant women and men reported being quarantined before May 2020, only 5% after May 2020. Since August 2020, 25% of non-pregnant people have done so. Obviously, pregnant women were more aware of the risks. However, compared to men, women who were not pregnant were worried that the disease would spread.

Percentage of participants reporting isolation or isolation due to COVID-19 in the 95% bootstrap-based confidence interval.

The authors observed a sharp increase in the use of face masks, an increase of approximately 70% in all groups in August 2020. Usage was consistent across all groups until July 2021 when it dropped to 60%. Average daily contacts (3.6 to 4) slightly lower than non-pregnant women of the same age. However, they made more social contact outside the household than non-pregnant women (0.7 vs. 0.5-0.6). Social contact also depended on the NPI and the rigor of the setting. Pregnant women generally had the least contact outside the home at all levels of NPI. Conversely, at all levels of restriction, as indicated by the SI intensity, more contacts were reported than in non-pregnant individuals.

Between January and April 2021, COVID-19 vaccination rates were higher in pregnant women than in non-pregnant women. In European countries, policies regarding the COVID-19 vaccine differed based on pregnancy status, and even if the vaccine was available, its uptake was low among pregnant women. In addition, studies frequently raise concerns about the safety and side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine for the fetus. By May 2021, vaccination of non-pregnant women outnumbered pregnant women.

When data on the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy became available, the authors strongly recommended that pregnant women be vaccinated preferentially. At the same time, policy makers need to devise strategies to address vaccination hesitation in pregnant women, such as post-vaccination monitoring and follow-up of mothers and babies.

Conclusion

There is an increasing need for social contact and face-to-face support during pregnancy. NPI conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped social behavior that adversely affected pregnant women. In addition, there was a constant turmoil environment that prevented them from receiving the COVID-19 vaccination. Overall, the study data highlighted the urgent need to recognize and provide accurate and clear information that can reassure pregnant women during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

*Important Notices

medRxiv Publish preliminary scientific reports that should not be considered definitive as they have not been peer-reviewed, guide clinical practice / health-related behaviors, and should not be treated as established information.