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Advancing Health: Vaccination and Infectious Disease Prevention in Pregnant Women,...
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Advancing Health: Vaccination and Infectious Disease Prevention in Pregnant Women, Neonates, Infants, and Children

A special issue of Vaccines (ISSN 2076-393X). This special issue belongs to the section "Vaccines and Public Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2027 | Viewed by 5081

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Eleni Vergadi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Mother and Child, School of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Greece
Interests: innate immunity; pediatrics; infectious diseases
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Infectious diseases pose significant risks to vulnerable populations, particularly pregnant women, neonates, infants, and children. Vaccination is a critical tool in preventing these diseases and ensuring the health of both mothers and their offspring. This Special Issue will focus on the latest research and best practices in vaccination and disease prevention strategies tailored specifically for these groups. By fostering interdisciplinary dialog and sharing evidence-based insights, we aim to improve health outcomes and inform clinical practice and public health policies.

We welcome submissions that explore a variety of themes, including, but not limited to, the following:

  • Vaccination Strategies: Effective methods for immunizing pregnant women and their children.
  • Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases: Trends and patterns in infectious diseases affecting these populations.
  • Immunological Responses: Studies on immune responses to vaccinations in pregnant women and newborns.
  • Safety and Efficacy: Assessments of vaccine safety profiles and effectiveness in early life.
  • Health Disparities: Research addressing barriers to vaccination in underserved populations.
  • Public Health Initiatives: Successful programs aimed at increasing vaccination rates among target groups.

We look forward to receiving your contributions!

Dr. Eleni Vergadi
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Vaccines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • infectious diseases
  • maternal immunization
  • pediatric infection control
  • immunization coverage
  • health equity
  • immunization strategies
  • vaccine safety

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 461 KB  
Article
Examining Discordance in Perceptions of COVID-19 and Influenza Vaccine Safety During Pregnancy Among a Cohort of US Adults
by Rachael Piltch-Loeb, Bai Xi Jasmine Chan, Josefina Nuñez Sahr, Chloe Teasdale, Sasha Fleary, Kate Penrose, Jenna Sanborn, Subha Balasubramanian, McKaylee Robertson and Angela Parcesepe
Vaccines 2026, 14(3), 274; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines14030274 - 20 Mar 2026
Viewed by 830
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Vaccination is an important strategy to protect pregnant people, fetuses, and infants from severe influenza and COVID-19. However, as of April 2025 in the United States, only 14% of pregnant women had received the 2024–2025 COVID-19 vaccine, while influenza vaccine uptake among [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Vaccination is an important strategy to protect pregnant people, fetuses, and infants from severe influenza and COVID-19. However, as of April 2025 in the United States, only 14% of pregnant women had received the 2024–2025 COVID-19 vaccine, while influenza vaccine uptake among pregnant women was 38% compared to 57% in 2020. Our study assessed the perceived safety of receiving these vaccines during pregnancy within a community-based national cohort. Methods: Participants reported safety perceptions of vaccination during pregnancy and were categorized as (1) endorsing the safety of both COVID-19 and influenza vaccines, (2) endorsing the safety of only the influenza vaccine, (3) endorsing the safety of only the COVID-19 vaccine and (4) endorsing the safety of neither vaccine during pregnancy. We examined sociodemographics, behaviors, and beliefs correlated with these four categories. Log-binomial models were used to estimate the prevalence ratios of (a) endorsing the safety of only influenza vaccine versus endorsing the safety of both COVID-19 and influenza vaccines during pregnancy, and (b) endorsing safety of neither versus both vaccines during pregnancy. Results: In total, 40% of adults (N = 1725) endorsed the safety of both vaccines during pregnancy, 18% (N = 751) endorsed the safety of only the influenza vaccine, 4% (N = 183) endorsed the safety of only the COVID-19 vaccine, and 38% (N = 1621) did not endorse the safety of either vaccine during pregnancy. Participants who were non-Hispanic Black, reported inconsistent vaccination habits, and expressed low trust in government and healthcare providers were more likely to endorse the safety of only the influenza vaccine or neither vaccine compared with endorsing both vaccines. Conclusions: These findings highlight the need to build trust in the medical system, reduce access barriers, and use equitable, community-driven messaging to strengthen confidence in the safety of receiving the COVID-19 and influenza vaccines during pregnancy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancing Health: Vaccination and Infectious Disease Prevention in Pregnant Women, Neonates, Infants, and Children)
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9 pages, 205 KB  
Article
Compliance of Pregnant Women with Recommendations Regarding Pertussis, Flu and COVID-19 Vaccination During Pregnancy
by Szymon Bednarek, Malgorzata Swiatkowska-Freund, Radosław Szelc, Patrycja Domieracka, Magdalena Tworkiewicz and Krzysztof Preis
Vaccines 2025, 13(5), 458; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines13050458 - 25 Apr 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3622
Abstract
Background: Many vaccines are safe and recommended during pregnancy. Transmission of maternal antibodies produced in large quantities after vaccination protects the neonate in the first months of life, until the first vaccinations in infancy. In Poland, at the time of the study, influenza, [...] Read more.
Background: Many vaccines are safe and recommended during pregnancy. Transmission of maternal antibodies produced in large quantities after vaccination protects the neonate in the first months of life, until the first vaccinations in infancy. In Poland, at the time of the study, influenza, pertussis, and COVID-19 vaccines were recommended during pregnancy. Methods: The authors performed a survey study in a group of 591 post-partum women. They were asked about the safety of pertussis, influenza and COVID-19 vaccines in pregnancy. Data regarding vaccination during pregnancy according to Polish recommendations in relation to the type of vaccine were also analysed. Results: Although 50% of patients reported that, in their opinion, the pertussis vaccine is safe and recommended during pregnancy, only 17% were vaccinated. Similar results authors obtained regarding the influenza vaccine (51% and 6%, respectively). The highest knowledge and compliance with recommendations correlation to the education level was observed in women with college and university education: 65% of them thought that pertussis vaccine is safe and recommended during pregnancy; 27% of them were vaccinated; 63% of them reported that they know that influenza vaccine is recommended during pregnancy and 9% were vaccinated. In a group with the lowest education, 14% reported that the pertussis vaccine is recommended as well as 24%-influenza vaccine. No patient in this group was vaccinated during pregnancy. Conclusions: Low compliance of pregnant women was confirmed in our study, and the desperate necessity of patients’ education regarding the safety of recommended vaccines is warranted. We showed that even patients who know that the vaccine is recommended do not receive vaccination, and the lower the education level, the lower the compliance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancing Health: Vaccination and Infectious Disease Prevention in Pregnant Women, Neonates, Infants, and Children)
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