Attitudes of pregnant women in Vilnius city towards recommended vaccines during pregnancy

Abstract Background Vaccination of pregnant women might be an effective measure in protecting health. Understanding the facilitators and barriers for vaccination during pregnancy might be beneficial for targeted interventions. The aim of the study was to determine the factors influencing the decisions of pregnant women to vaccinate. Methods An anonymous survey was carried out from Nov 2024 to Mar 2025. 411 pregnant women were surveyed in 4 health care facilities in Vilnius. The distribution of respondents according to socio-demographic factors and vaccination status, also factors influencing decision was compared using the χ2 test. Results Half (49.5%) of the sample received at least one vaccine during pregnancy. Lithuanians, those without school-age children, with university education got vaccinated more frequently (respectively, 52.1% vs 38.3%, 52.6% vs 34.7%, 55.5% vs 33.9%, p < 0.05). The most prevalent reasons for not getting vaccinated were the potential harm of vaccines (35.9%), physician's recommendation (17.5%), and a lack of belief in vaccine benefits (17.0%). The most frequent reasons to get vaccinated were the desire to ensure health (94.1%), belief in the benefits of vaccines (58.4%), and recommendation of a health professional (51.0%). The most common sources which influenced to get vaccinated were scientific articles (33.2%), social media (11.9%). The most popular information sources against vaccination were scientific articles (24.3%), social media (18.5%). The choice of the sources were related to respondents’ age, marital status, nationality, university education and having school-age children (p < 0.05). Conclusions The most popular motivation for vaccination is the desire to ensure health, belief in the benefits of vaccines, and the advice of a physician. The most common reasons for not vaccinating were not believing in the benefits of vaccines, being advised by a doctor, fear of vaccine harm. Most women are influenced by social media and scientific articles. Key messages • 50% vaccination represents missed chances to protect mothers and newborns from serious illnesses. • While recommendation of a physician is one of the most frequent reasons to get vaccinated it is the one of the most common reasons preventing from being vaccinated.