Vaxx-Confident and Vaxx-Hesitant Agents: Factors Affecting COVID-19 Vaccination Willingness Among Young Adults in Klang Valley, Malaysia

Abstract

In February 2021, the government of Malaysia started the rollout of COVID-19 vaccination with the frontlines, such as healthcare personnel, essential services, and defense and security personnel. This effort was followed by the second phase of vaccination between April to August 2021 with senior citizens and high-risk groups, followed by the third phase from May 2021 to February 2022 with individuals aged 18 and above. Though this plan has been widely publicized and seemed to be carried out as planned, not much is known about the reaction of young adults getting vaccinated. As such, the current research was conducted to examine the (1) willingness of Malaysian young adults to get vaccinated, (2) contributing factors, and (3) hindrance factors towards vaccination among young adults. A self-administered online survey method was employed in this study, with 306 Malaysian young adults living in Klang Valley as research samples. The findings indicated that 74.5% of the respondents were willing to get vaccinated and that most of them, regardless of their vaccination willingness, emphasized the salient role that reliable and trusted information plays in shaping their inclinations. Based on their reported willingness, the respondents were categorized into two categories: vaxx-confident and vaxx-hesitant agents. The agents of socialization that were analyzed and discussed were news and media, family members, government, and opinion leaders. The two-way socialization processes that promote and hinder their COVID-19 vaccination were further discussed and highlighted.