Abstract
BACKGROUND: The 2019 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is still ongoing and continues to have profound economic and social impacts worldwide. Establishing a minimum vaccination in the population is pertinent to curbing the transmission rate. However, barriers exist to achieving this threshold. Young adults represent the cohort with the highest incidence of COVID-19 cases. Assessing young adults' knowledge and intent to vaccinate will assist policy makers in understanding the factors behind health decisions and designing effective strategies. METHODS: An online self-administered survey was posted on Facebook and Reddit for completion by young adults in British Columbia. Questions pertained to their demographic information, immunization intent, and vaccine knowledge level. Chi-squared tests were performed to examine the associations ofCOVID-19 vaccine intent with demographic factors and with scores from a vaccine knowledge level. RESULTS: A total of 235 responses revealed that 72% of young adults in British Columbia would get vaccinated right away. Safety and side effects we recited as the predominant reason for vaccine hesitancy. The average grade for the knowledge test was 70% with the lowest scores on the topic about vaccine safety and administration. Higher education, prior influenza vaccination, and high level of vaccine knowledge were statistically associated withgreaterCOVID-19 vaccine uptake (p = 0.005, 0.014, and 0.000, respectively). In contrast, associations were not detected when vaccine intent was compared with the study program undertaken at a post-secondary institution or the industry sector worked in. CONCLUSION: Results suggested that young adults with high levels of vaccine knowledge, higher educational attainment, and prior influenza vaccination experience would be more likely to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Health officials should consider disseminating more information about vaccine safety, as this was the primary concern expressed by respondents who were vaccine hesitant. Possible interventions for promoting immunizations include hosting educational workshops or immunization clinics for high school students.