Influenza and Tdap Vaccines: Practices and Perception among Hispanic Women attending Tertiary Center in Puerto Rico

Abstract

Objective: Explore influenza and Tdap immunization knowledge, attitudes, and practices among Hispanics patients attending prenatal care in a tertiary hospital in Puerto Rico as well as barriers encountered by patients regarding vaccination practices during pregnancy. Methods: Descriptive study conducted at the University District Hospital prenatal care clinics in the Medical Sciences Campus of Puerto Rico from September 2016 to June 2017. Results: A total of 189 pregnant women were recruited. Regarding Influenza vaccine: 75.6% were offered or oriented about Influenza vaccination, 51.8% had received the vaccine at least once (only 12.2% during current pregnancy) and, 57.1% reported receiving information about influenza infection risks in pregnancy, mainly from health care professionals and media. For Tdap only 20.6% of women were offered or oriented about the vaccine and 7.4% received the vaccine during pregnancy. 55.6% of patients had not been oriented about potential dangers of the pertussis infection; for the few oriented, health professionals were their predominant source. In terms of barriers, lack of information about vaccination and its benefits during pregnancy were the most frequent. Conclusion: Our study identifies the existing gap of information regarding Influenza and Tdap vaccine. Physicians play a pivotal role in preventive care and new strategies are needed to optimize education to our patients.