Acceptance, Concerns And Knowledge Of Covid-19 Vaccine: An Early Battle Against The Pandemic

Many COVID-19 vaccine candidates were clinically tested in response
to the coronavirus pandemic. This study aims to determine the acceptance rate of,
main concerns about and knowledge of COVID-19 vaccination among the Malaysian
population based on different sociodemographic characteristics during the early stages
of vaccine arrival in Malaysia. A cross-sectional online survey was performed between
January 25, 2021 and February 1, 2021 using descriptive statistics, Likert scale analysis,
hypothesis testing, correlation and regression. These statistics assessed the correlation
between sociodemographic characteristics, exposure to COVID-19 vaccine information,
as well as the perceived risk of infection and acceptance towards COVID-19 vaccines.
There exist significant differences across sociodemographic variables. More than half of
the respondents (58.85%) voted safety as their primary concern. Moreover, a medium
correlation exists between knowledge and acceptance, r = 0.444, N = 2051, p<0.01. The
linear regression equation of acceptance predicted by knowledge was Acceptance = 2.873
+ 0.981 (Knowledge). This study’s findings can help the government design the best way
to execute COVID-19 vaccination campaigns in Malaysia, for example, the National
COVID-19 Immunisation Programme. It also demonstrates that online questionnaires are
appropriate for assessing health literacy skills and attitudes towards vaccination during
infectious disease epidemics. It can also aid in the adaptation of medical communication
tactics to better comprehend vaccination values.