Exploring the impact of trust dimensions on COVID-19 vaccination intention and behavior: A quantitative analysis

Abstract

The rapid proliferation of COVID-19 vaccines has emerged as a pivotal strategy to combat the ongoing pandemic. Vaccine hesitancy, influenced by various vaccine-related factors, significantly impacts the adoption of COVID-19 vaccination. Misinformation contributes to vaccine distrust and hinders individuals' willingness to receive the vaccine. Despite its critical importance, there remains a paucity of comprehensive studies focusing on the determinants of vaccine confidence, leading to a deficiency in implementation research aimed at understanding and modifying individuals' behavior towards COVID-19 vaccination. This research endeavors to examine the influence of three key dimensions of trust in the COVID-19 vaccine, namely vaccine reliability, transparency in information dissemination, and pharmaceutical laboratory investment in innovation, on individuals' intention to receive the vaccine. Furthermore, we investigate the repercussions of these dimensions on actual COVID-19 vaccination behavior. Our quantitative study comprises a sample of 240 participants and employs a rigorous analytical approach. The findings underscore that individuals' intent to vaccinate against COVID-19 is positively affected by all three trust dimensions, i.e., drug reliability, innovation investment, and information transparency. Importantly, this intention positively correlates with actual vaccination behavior. This study substantiates the utility of the behavioral approach and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) in elucidating vaccine hesitancy and the factors exerting influence on vaccine uptake.