Vaccination intent

Self-reported willingness or intention to receive a vaccine. Distinct from actual vaccination behavior (uptake) — intent correlates with uptake but does not determine it (barriers like access, cost, logistics intervene). Research distinguishes between intent to vaccinate oneself, intent to vaccinate one's child or family members, and conditional intent (e.g., "if recommended by my doctor").

Vaccination intent is a primary outcome in studies examining how misinformation, messaging, trust, and sociodemographic factors influence acceptance of new vaccines.

Key papers

• Measuring the impact of COVID-19 vaccine misinformation on vaccination intent in the UK and USA — Large RCT showing misinformation exposure causally reduces vaccination intent in UK/USA; demonstrates sociodemographic heterogeneity in response
• Fighting COVID-19 Misinformation on Social Media: Experimental Evidence for — Accuracy-focused nudges increase intent to vaccinate and reduce misinformation sharing
• Susceptibility to misinformation about COVID-19 around the world — Global survey documenting differences in misinformation susceptibility by country and demographics

Related topics

• Vaccine hesitancy and vaccine safety concerns (refusal to vaccinate despite availability)
• Vaccine misinformation (false claims driving intent downward)
• Vaccine confidence (trust predicting intent)
• Behavioral interventions (messaging/nudge design to maintain/increase intent)
• Public health (policy implementation)