Various control measures, including vaccination, have been taken to flatten the COVID-19 epidemic curve across the globe. However, in Bangladesh, many young adults, considered the asymptomatic transmitter of the disease, are waiting to get their first shot. Therefore, the potential predictors of the young adults’ vaccine uptake intention are significant to ensure their maximum vaccination when available to them. This study examined how vaccine hesitancy, eHealth literacy, and vaccine literacy are associated with young adults’ COVID-19 vaccine uptake intention in a lower-middle-income country. A total of 343 young adults participated in the study. Using ordinary least square and probit estimation, we examined the effect of the explanatory variables of interest on vaccine uptake intention. Vaccine hesitancy emerged as the strongest predictor of vaccine uptake intention. eHealth literacy shared a positive association with vaccine uptake intention, while vaccine literacy had no significant association. To make young adults feel more confident about the vaccine, transmitting the latest vaccine safety updates through authentic channels is essential. The government can aim to enhance the eHealth literacy of young adults as an increased level of eHealth literacy will enable young adults to extract reliable health-related information more efficiently than ever.

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Aim: The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has already hit Bangladesh, and various control measures have been taken to flatten the epidemic curve. Due to the current demographic distribution in Bangladesh, young adults are vital to the demography of the country. Therefore, their precautionary behavior is very important to ensure the success of preventive policies. This exploratory study examined the differences in the adoption of precautionary behaviors among young adults, and estimated and compared the predictors of precautionary behavior adoption among young adults living in the capital city Dhaka and a nearby district, Tangail. Subject and Methods: A total of 350 respondents from each district participated in the study. ANOVA and two-sample t-tests were utilized to detect differences in precautionary behavior across demographic groups of young adults, and quantile regression modeling was used to find the predictors of adopting precautionary behaviors and to compare these predictors between the two districts. Results: Individuals who had a postgraduate education and had good mental health tended to show better precautionary behaviors in Dhaka. Female respondents from Tangail who had no psychological distress took precautionary behaviors more often than their counterparts. However, no significant differences in the adoption of precautionary behaviors to prevent COVID-19 among young adults were found between the two districts. Better self-control ability, higher education, and good mental health emerged as factors that significantly shaped the precautionary behaviors of young adults in this study. Conclusion: Having better knowledge did not ensure better adoption of precautionary behaviors among the participants. In effect, strong intervention by the government to keep people at home and distant from each other and continued lockdown for several more days are probable immediate solutions. At the same time, the economic burden on lower-income people should be addressed.