Author(s)

Nyawela S. Nyibil^1*, Gideon Kikuvi¹, Isabel Kazanga Chiumia²

¹Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health and Disease Control, Nairobi, Kenya.
²Department of Health Systems and Policy, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Lilongwe, The Republic of Malawi.

Introduction: Pregnant women are a highly vulnerable population for COVID-19 with increased risk of hospitalization, intensive-care unit admission, invasive ventilation support, and mortality. Objective: This study determined the socio-demographic and economic factors associated with the uptake of COVID-19 vaccine among pregnant women utilizing antenatal care services in Pumwani Maternity Hospital, Nairobi County-Kenya. Methods: The study was carried out from 15 June to 23 July 2023. Systematic sampling was used to select 302 women from whom data was collected through face-to-face interviews using a pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire. Data was analyzed using SPSS software in which bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were done at a significance level of p < 0.05. Results: A total of 302 pregnant women participated in the study. Of these, 105 (34.8%) were aged between twenty-six (26) and thirty (30) years. The mean age of the women was 28.60 ± (SD = 5.297). The uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine was 41.1%. The common side effects reported to be associated with the vaccines were fever, headache, joint pain, vomiting and skin rash. Uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine was significantly associated with being married (AOR = 3.65, 95% CI: 0.62 - 1.80, p = 0.001), having a secondary level of education (AOR = 3.78, 95% CI: 0.99 - 2.88, p = 0.001) and being employed (COR = 2.66, 95% CI: 1.31 - 3.06, p = 0.001). Conclusion: COVID-19 vaccination uptake remains low among pregnant women in seeking ANC in Nairobi. The individual factors associated with the uptake of COVID-19 vaccine among pregnant Women at Pumwani maternity hospital in Nairobi County were being married, having secondary level of education and being employed. Integration of the COVID-19 vaccine with other routine vaccinations as per the national immunization program in Kenya and the enhancement of education regarding the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine in pregnancy and breastfeeding and economic empowerment of women are recommended.

COVID-19, Vaccine Uptake, Associated Factors, Pregnant Women

Nyibil, N. , Kikuvi, G. and Chiumia, I. (2024) Socio-Demographic and Economic Factors Associated with Uptake of COVID-19 Vaccine among Pregnant Women at Pumwani Maternity Hospital in Nairobi County, Kenya. Open Journal of Epidemiology, 14, 221-237. doi: 10.4236/ojepi.2024.142015.