Perceptions and intentions of COVID-19 vaccination in maternity care settings in Australia

on 17 November 2021

A study has been conducted and published on the perceptions and intentions of COVID-19 vaccinations in maternity care settings in Australia.

The study is the first of its kind to analyse the perceptions and intentions of doctors, midwives and student midwives regarding the COVID-19 vaccination.

A national cross-sectional study method was conducted in early 2021 in Australia. Participants of the study were recruited through social media platforms and college distribution lists.

A total of 853 women and maternity care providers responded to the research (326 women, 58 doctors, 391 midwives and 78 student midwives).

Overall, the personal intention to have the COVID-19 vaccination ranged from 48-89%, with doctors most likely to get vaccinated and women the least likely.

The study also found that doctors and student midwives were most likely to recommend the COVID-19 vaccine to pregnant women in their care than midwives.

Less then 2% of doctors felt women should wait until they had finished breastfeeding before taking the vaccine, compared with 24% of midwives and 21% of student midwives.

53% of midwives who participated in the study had concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine for the women in their care, compared with 35% of doctors and 46% of midwifery students.

54% of practitioners said they were unlikely to recommend the vaccine for breastfeeding women, despite national guidance recommending it.

The study ‘COVID-19 vaccination perceptions and intentions of maternity care consumers and providers in Australia’ can be found here.

You can find the latest research on COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy with our free downloadable Literature Search Pack here.

What to find more studies like this? You can find over 290,000 research abstracts, grey literature and more in the Maternity and Infant Care (MIC) database.