Factors influencing COVID-19 vaccination intention: The roles of vaccine knowledge, vaccine risk perception, and doctor-patient communication

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate factors influencing COVID-19 vaccination intention in the United States. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 800 respondents recruited from an online panel managed by a survey company. Path analysis was employed to examine the relationships between the study variables. RESULTS: First, perceived susceptibility to COVID-19 vaccine side effects was negatively associated with vaccination intention whereas perceived severity did not show any significant impact. Second, vaccine-related knowledge was not directly related to vaccination intention, but it had an indirect and positive effect on vaccination intention via decreasing perceived susceptibility. Third, doctor-patient communication strengthened the negative effect of vaccine knowledge on perceived susceptibility and severity. CONCLUSION: The results of this study offer insights on how to increase people’s vaccination intention and reduce their psychological concerns when making COVID-19 vaccine-related decisions. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Government agencies should actively promote the effectiveness and importance of vaccination, while addressing concerns about vaccine safety in the public; Health initiatives also need to enhance the level of knowledge about COVID-19 vaccines through various media channels; Doctors can start the conversations about COVID-19 vaccination with their patients at the point of care and/or via online communication platforms.