Knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of pregnant women regarding the influenza vaccine: a systematic review

Abstract

Influenza vaccination during prenatal care protects the pregnant woman, the fetus and the newborns in the first 6 months of life, being of utmost importance. The aim of the study was to investigate pregnant women's knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs regarding influenza vaccination. A systematic literature review was developed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022315929). Six scientific databases were used as primary sources (PubMed, Scopus, SciELO, Web of Science, EMBASE and LILACS) and three databases (ProQuest, LIVIVO and Google Scholar) were searched to partially select the "gray literature". Only cross-sectional studies evaluating pregnant women's knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs regarding influenza vaccine, without year and language restriction were included. The search resulted in 2,135 studies, of which 16 met the eligibility criteria. Overall, the studies showed that the knowledge and belief regarding the efficacy and safety of the influenza vaccine is low. Thus, educational actions aimed at pregnant women, family members, and health professionals involved in prenatal care are fundamental to raise awareness about the importance of and adherence to influenza vaccination.