Abstract
The aim of this study is to investigate the key factors influencing the acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines and develop a model based on the theory of reasoned action, belief in conspiracy theory, awareness, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease of use. The authors created and distributed a self-administered online questionnaire using Google Forms. Data were collected from 351 respondents ranging in age from 19 to 30 years, studying at the graduate and postgraduate levels at various public universities in Bangladesh. The Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) method was used to analyze the data. The results indicate that belief in conspiracy theory undermines COVID-19 vaccine acceptance, thereby negatively impacting the individual attitudes, subjective norms, and acceptance. Individual awareness, on the other hand, has a strong positive influence on the COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. Furthermore, the perceived usefulness of vaccination and the perceived ease of obtaining the vaccine positively impact attitude and the acceptance of immunization. Individuals’ positive attitudes toward immunization and constructive subjective norms have a positive impact on vaccine acceptance. This study contributes to the literature by combining the theory of reasoned action with conspiracy theory, awareness, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease of use to understand vaccine acceptance behavior. Authorities should focus on campaigns that could reduce misinformation and conspiracy surrounding COVID-19 vaccination. The perceived usefulness of vaccination to prevent pandemics and continue normal education will lead to vaccination success. Furthermore, the ease with which people can obtain the vaccine and that it is free of cost will encourage students to get vaccinated to protect themselves, their families, and society.
Highlights
In December 2019, the first human cases of COVID-19, a coronavirus disease caused by SARSCoV-2, were reported in Wuhan, China [1, 2]
We find that Perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PE) have a positive impact on individual attitudes toward vaccination, which leads to acceptance
This study aims to understand vaccine acceptance behavior among young people who attend public universities, whose health is a concern, and who will lead the nation in the future
Summary
In December 2019, the first human cases of COVID-19, a coronavirus disease caused by SARSCoV-2, were reported in Wuhan, China [1, 2]. The virus was initially called the novel or “New” coronavirus, but was later renamed SARS-CoV-2 by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses, and the disease it causes was named “coronavirus disease 2019 or “COVID-19” by the World Health Organization (WHO) on February 11, 2020 [3]. After the initial infection in Wuhan, China, the first million COVID-19 cases were reported on April 2, 2020; the highest daily case count of 906,008 was on April 28, 2021. In Bangladesh, the Case Fatality Rate (CFR), which is the ratio of confirmed deaths to confirmed cases, increased by 58%, indicating that a greater proportion of infected people began to die [7]
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