Important Findings
- Misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccines is rife, and previous research by the KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor has found that belief and uncertainty about COVID-19 misinformation is widespread. The latest KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor, which looks specifically at pregnancy-related misinformation about the vaccines, notes that they still exist. About one in five adults (18%) and about three in 10 women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant (29%) believe at least one in three incorrect statements about pregnancy and vaccinations. This includes around one in seven adults (14%) and almost one in four women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant (24%) who believe pregnant women should not be vaccinated against COVID-19.
- Aside from those who believe misinformation, an even larger proportion say they’ve heard these false statements and aren’t sure if they’re true or not. Overall, about six in 10 adults and seven in 10 women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant either believe at least one in three false statements about pregnancy and the COVID-19 vaccines, or are unsure.
- While the majority of the public say they have at least some confidence in the safety of adult COVID-19 vaccines in general, they are less likely to express confidence that the vaccines for those who are pregnant or trying to conceive are safe. Even among Democrats and vaccinated adults – groups that express high levels of confidence in the safety of the adult vaccines – less than half say they are “very confident” the vaccine is safe for pregnant women.
- With CDC estimates showing about three in 10 pregnant women remain unvaccinated, the latest KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor finds that a majority of women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant say they “don’t want to.” confident” or “not at all confident”. that the vaccine is safe for pregnant women and those trying to conceive.
Misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines and pregnancy
There have been reports of widespread misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine and its impact on pregnancy, lactation and fertility. Because pregnant women were excluded from the initial COVID-19 vaccine trials and early statements about whether they should receive the vaccine were conflicting, overall vaccine uptake among pregnant women lagged behind that of adults. Although the CDC recommends COVID-19 vaccines for pregnant women, the latest KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor finds that one in seven adults (14%) has heard and believes pregnant women should not receive the COVID-19 vaccine that this is the case. rising to almost one in four (24%) women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant.
The CDC also recommends COVID-19 vaccines for breastfeeding women, although about one in 10 adults (10%) and about one in six pregnant or pregnant women (17%) say they have heard of it and are convinced it is unsafe for women who are breastfeeding to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Another 7% of adults overall, rising to 16% of women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, say they have heard and believe that the COVID-19 vaccines have been shown to cause infertility.
Overall, belief in misinformation about vaccines and pregnancy is relatively widespread, with around one in five adults (18%) and a similar proportion of women of childbearing age (aged 18 to 49) (20%) believing in at least one of the misinformation asked for in the survey. Notably, about three in ten (29%) women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant say they have heard and believe at least one of these three false statements.
Aside from those who believe misinformation, an even larger proportion say they’ve heard these false statements and aren’t sure if they’re true or not, which can add to the confusion. About a third of the general population say they have heard every misstatement queried in the survey and are not sure if it is true. Overall, about six in ten adults (62%) believe or are unsure of at least one of these misstatements about vaccines and pregnancy.
Among those for whom questions about vaccine safety and pregnancy are most relevant – women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant – nearly four in ten (37%) are unsure whether pregnant women should not receive the vaccine and 44% are uncertain if the COVID-19 vaccines cause infertility. Overall, of women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, 60% think pregnant women should not receive the vaccine or are unsure if this is the case, 58% think or are unsure if the vaccines should has been shown to cause infertility and 52% believe or are unsure whether it is unsafe for women who are breastfeeding to get vaccinated.
About seven in 10 women under the age of 50 (69%) and women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant (72%) either believe or are unsure about at least one of these misinformation about vaccines and pregnancy. Among women of childbearing age (18-49 years), belief or uncertainty about this type of misinformation is more widespread among women without a college degree (75% vs. 59% of college graduates) and among women without a vaccine (83%). But above all under vaccinated Women under 50 say six in ten (63%) have heard at least one piece of misinformation and believe or aren’t sure what the survey asked.
Perceptions of safety of COVID-19 vaccines for adults and pregnant women
The widespread spread of misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccines and pregnancy and fertility may add to the concerns many adults have heard about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines for pregnant women or women planning to conceive. While about seven in 10 adults say they are at least somewhat confident that adult COVID-19 vaccines are generally safe (72%), they express less confidence in their safety for people who are pregnant or trying to conceive become (53%). About a quarter of the public (23%) say they are “very confident” that the COVID-19 vaccines are safe for people who are pregnant or trying to conceive, while another three in ten (30% ) say they are “somewhat confident”. However, almost half say they are “not too confident” (22%) or “not at all confident” (23%).
Lower confidence in the safety of vaccines for pregnant women or women trying to conceive exists even among groups that generally express relatively high confidence in adult vaccines. For example, 70% of Democrats say they are “very confident” that the COVID-19 vaccines are safe for adults, but a much smaller proportion (40%) say the same about the safety of vaccines for pregnant women and those who are pregnant want to get pregnant. Likewise, a majority of vaccinated adults (57%) are “very confident” about the safety of adult COVID-19 vaccines, while 30% say the same of vaccines for pregnant women.
Among women aged 18 to 49, seven in ten believe vaccines are generally safe for adults, while just under half (48%) believe they are safe for pregnant or pregnant women. Not surprisingly, very few (9%) unvaccinated women under the age of 50 are confident that the vaccine is safe for people who are pregnant or trying to conceive, while around two-thirds (64%) of their vaccinated peers are confident are safe for this group. Among women under 50, college graduates are more likely than women without a college degree to say they are confident in the safety of COVID-19 vaccines for pregnant women or women planning to become pregnant (66% vs. 36%).
Forty-two percent of women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant say they are at least reasonably certain the vaccine is safe for pregnant women and those planning to become pregnant, while a majority say they are “not too sure.” confident” (31%). or “not at all confident” (27%). This lack of confidence in the vaccine’s safety for pregnant women may have contributed to some women avoiding or delaying vaccination, with about three in 10 pregnant women remaining unvaccinated, according to CDC estimates.
