Factors influencing maternal vaccine acceptance among pregnant women in Kericho East Sub-County, Kenya
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51867/ajernet.6.4.71Keywords:
Kericho, Maternal, Pregnancy, RSV, Tetanus, VaccineAbstract
Maternal immunization is beneficial to both mothers and their newborns, providing protection against vaccine-preventable diseases. However, vaccination could be affected by vaccine hesitancy, which has been identified by the World Health Organization as one of the top ten threats to global health. Data from the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (2022) showed that Kericho County had the fifth-highest percentage of women whose most recent births were protected at birth against tetanus. However, factors behind the acceptance of the tetanus vaccine remain largely unexplored, and they could inform the tailoring of information for new vaccines. The specific objectives of this study included determining the level of maternal vaccine acceptance and exploring individual and health system factors that influence maternal vaccine acceptance. The study was guided by the 5-P Model for Vaccine Decision-Making in Pregnancy, and a descriptive cross-sectional design was employed. The target population consisted of pregnant women, with a sample size of 180 respondents determined using Cochran’s (1977) formula. Five locations in Kericho East Sub-County were selected through systematic sampling, and random sampling was employed to select the respondents. Data was collected using a semi-structured questionnaire. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26 was used to analyze the data using descriptive and inferential statistics, including odds ratios and binary logistic regression at a significance level of 0.05. The findings were presented in tables. The study revealed high acceptance of maternal vaccines: tetanus toxoid (TT) at 96%, influenza at 91.4%, RSV at 90.2%, and GBS at 88.4%, if recommended for use during pregnancy. Facilitators of maternal vaccine acceptance included having a postgraduate education (OR = 4.67, p < 0.01), as well as knowledge of the RSV vaccine (OR = 3.18, p = 0.01) and the GBS vaccine (OR = 3.42, p < 0.01). Barriers to maternal vaccine acceptance included living more than 20 km from the nearest health facility (OR=0.11, p < 0.01) and not being comfortable discussing maternal vaccines with a healthcare provider (OR=0.32, p = 0.01). Maternal vaccine acceptance in Kericho East Sub-County is facilitated by factors like higher education levels, whereas barriers may include living more than 20 kilometers from a health facility. Therefore, to maintain and increase the acceptance of maternal vaccines, public health agencies could leverage the facilitators and address the barriers.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Kibet Hillary, Dr. Wilberforce Cholo (PhD), Dr. Christine Wanjala
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