The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of including pregnant women and other women of reproductive age in all tiers of vaccine research. The exclusion of pregnant women from the original COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials led to a significant void in safety and efficacy data, contributing to vaccine hesitancy (defined as a delay or refusal of vaccines despite availability of vaccine services) and low vaccine uptake among this group. Other factors contributing to low vaccine uptake among this group remain largely unexplored.
In the future including women of reproductive age in vaccine research could provide invaluable information for vaccine decision-making conversations, local and national vaccine strategic planning and policy guidance.