INFORMED WILLINGNESS TO PAY FOR RESPIRATORY SYNCYTIAL VIRUS (RSV) VACCINATION AMONG PREGNANT WOMEN RESIDING IN TRANG PROVINCE

Abstract

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a negative-sense, single-stranded RNA virus that is a common cause of respiratory hospitalization among infants. The RSVpreF (Abrysvo) vaccine is given to pregnant women between 24 and 36 weeks of gestation to provide passive immunity to their infants. The objective of this study is to describe the informed willingness to pay for RSV vaccination among pregnant women residing in Trang Province, Thailand. The investigators conducted a hospital-based cross-sectional study at three public hospitals in Trang Province, southern Thailand: one provincial hospital and two district hospitals. The investigators collected data using a face-to-face structured interview questionnaire delivered via the KoboToolbox platform and analyzed data using descriptive statistics. A total of 96 pregnant women agreed to participate in our study (n = 96 participants). All participants were female, with a median age of 29 years, and about a quarter of the participants were Muslim. One-third of the participants reported that they would be willing to pay between 1,000 THB and 1,999 THB to receive RSV vaccination, and the median amount was also in the 1,000 THB to 1,999 THB range. This was one of the first studies on willingness to pay for RSV vaccination in Trang Province. However, limitations regarding the cross-sectional study design, limited statistical power, and information biases should be considered in the interpretation of our study findings.

Keywords: Willingness-to-Pay, Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Vaccination, Pregnancy