COVID-19 Vaccine Perceptions, Intentions, and Uptake Among Young Adults in the United States: Prospective College-Based Cohort Study

Abstract

Background Uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine among US young adults, particularly those that belong to racial and ethnic minorities, remains low compared to their older peers. Understanding vaccine perceptions and their influence on vaccination uptake among this population remains crucial to achieving population herd immunity. Objective We sought to study perceptions of COVID-19 vaccines as well as intended and actual vaccine uptake among one population of college students, faculty, and staff. Methods As part of a larger study aimed at investigating the dynamics of COVID-19 transmission, serology, and perception on a college campus, participants were asked about their views on the COVID-19 vaccine in February 2021. Vaccination status was assessed by self-report in April 2021. Logistic regression was used to calculate prevalence ratios with marginal standardization. Results We found that non-White participants were 25% less likely to report COVID-19 vaccination compared to White participants. Among those who were unvaccinated, Black and other non-White participants were significantly more likely to indicate they were unwilling to receive a COVID-19 vaccine compared to White participants. The most common reason for unwillingness to receive the vaccine was belief that the vaccine approval process was rushed. Conclusions There are racial differences in perceptions of the COVID-19 vaccine among young adults, and these differences might differentially impact vaccine uptake among young racial and ethnic minorities. Efforts to increase vaccine uptake among college populations might require campaigns specifically tailored to these minority groups.

Determinants of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among students and parents in Sentinel Schools Network of Catalonia, Spain

“…The parents' migratory situation, when at least one was born abroad but lives in Spain, was associated with vaccine hesitancy, a similar result was founded in a Canadian study [18]. Disparities in vaccination rates among students of different ethnicities was also demonstrated previously [15].…”

“…Epidemiological studies assessing determinants associated with the intention to vaccinate against SARS-CoV-2 may help to guide strategies for achieving the coverage that is necessary to avoid severity and mortality by COVID-19, and that could prevent the resurgence of this vaccine preventable disease [9,11,[15][16][17][18].…”

Exploring Motivations for COVID-19 Vaccination Among Black Young Adults in 3 Southern US States: Cross-sectional Study

“…Concerns about safety and efficacy have been shown to be a major barrier to vaccination across populations and countries [ 28 ]. Additional studies among college populations have also shown that a common reason for unwillingness to receive the vaccine are the belief that the vaccine approval process was rushed [ 15 ], as well as mistrust of the health care system or government held by Black individuals, as described earlier [ 29 ]. Our findings indicate that mistrust was also common among vaccinated BYA, suggesting the potential for other motivations to build trust and facilitate vaccine uptake, such as trusted sources to combat misinformation and inclusion of BYA in vaccination messaging and programs, given their potential as change agents.…”

“…Concern around vaccines is particularly salient in Black communities with deeply rooted medical mistrust due, in part, to well-known ethical violations, such as Henrietta Lacks and the Tuskegee study and structures, policies, and practices rooted in structural racism that create health inequities in many Black communities [10][11][12][13][14]. Several studies have identified that vaccine hesitancy varies by age and race, with Black communities having higher rates of vaccine hesitancy and younger age being associated with greater hesitancy across race/ethnicity [10,[15][16][17]. However, few studies focus specifically on BYA in the Southern United States who are an important population among which to increase vaccination, including both completion of the primary vaccine series and receipt of booster shots.…”

Uptake of COVID-19 Vaccination and Its Associated Factors among College Students in China: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study

“…COVID-19 cases in young adults, including college students, are more likely to be asymptomatic or paucisymptomatic carriers of SARS-CoV-2 compared to their older counterparts [ 2 ]. As the new variant spreads faster, if a case is not identified in time, the inevitable daily close contact may result in clustered epidemics and large-scale transmission [ 3 ].…”