Understanding COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy among Tertiary Level Students in Malaysia Using the 5C Model - A Short Survey

• Published in: Journal of the Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences : JLUMHS Vol. 21; no. 3; pp. 222 - 228
• Main Authors: Novia Pratama Putri, Geetha Subramaniam, Lalita Ambigai Sivasamugham, Sharmini Gopinathan, Murali Raman, Sam Toong Hai
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences 01.07.2022
• Subjects: covid-19; malaysia; tertiary level students; vaccine hesitancy
• ISSN: 1729-0341; 2309-8627
• DOI: 10.22442/jlumhs.2022.00959

OBJECTIVE: To explore the attitudes of the tertiary level students inalaysia towards COVID-19 vaccines to analyze the leading cause of vaccine hesitancy among this group. METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional study was conducted from January to February 2021 among undergraduates from 5 different private tertiary institutions across Malaysia. The data was obtained through an online survey using Google Forms and analyzed using Smart PLS 3 software. RESULTS: The validity of the measurement model led to the structural model after bootstrapping. From the data analysis, it was confirmed that Collective Responsibility and Confidence had a significant positive relationship with vaccine hesitancy, while complacency, constraints and calculation did not seem to contribute to vaccine hesitancy CONCLUSION: Most respondents have good knowledge about the vaccines and generally have a positive attitude towards COVID-19. The respondents were hesitant to get the COVID-19 vaccines because they were concerned about the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines as they are new and rapidly developed.