Adaptation of a New Maternal Vaccination to the National Antenatal Care Program among Obstetricians and the Impact on the Patient’s Acceptance after the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Abstract The idea of maternal immunization has attracted significant interest in recent years; however, its adaptation has been slower than expected. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has shed light on the importance of the role of healthcare providers and the weight they place on society to encourage and introduce the concept of maternal immunization to a higher level. Aim of the Study: To examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on physicians’ attitudes towards the immunization protocol of the adaptation of a newly introduced maternal immunization vaccine for tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis (TDAP) to pregnant women between 27 and 36 weeks of gestation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Method: This was a retrospective observational study conducted between February 2021 and December 2021. Initially, the rate of antenatal utilization of the TDAP vaccine was assessed for 3 months by our booked patients. Another assessment of vaccine uptake was conducted after another 3 months, where more education and encouragement to healthcare providers was provided at the same hospital. Results: The initial adaptation of the TDAP vaccination by both healthcare providers and patients was below expectation [100 out of 716 patients (approximately 14%)]. After further education and involvement of the doctors in the national maternal vaccination program, the second round of assessment of 1928 patients showed that 749 patients received the vaccine with an uptake rate of 38.85%. These findings suggest the pivotal role of doctors during the COVID-19 pandemic in enhancing the adaptation of the new maternal vaccination. When more doctors were convinced of the importance of maternal immunization and offered it to their patients, there was a significant improvement in the utilization of the vaccine.