Sentiments Regarding COVID-19 Vaccination among Graduate Students in Singapore

As the COVID-19 pandemic rages unabated, and with more infectious variants, vaccination may offer a way to transit out of strict restrictions on physical human interactions to curb the virus spread and prevent overwhelming the healthcare system. However, vaccine hesitancy threatens to significantly impact our progress towards achieving this. It is thus important to understand the sentiments regarding vaccination for different segments of the population to facilitate the development of effective strategies to persuade these groups. Here, we surveyed the COVID-19 vaccination sentiments among a highly educated group of graduate students from the National University of Singapore (NUS). Graduate students who are citizens of 54 different countries, mainly from Asia, pursue studies in diverse fields, with 32% expressing vaccine hesitancy. Citizenship, religion, country of undergraduate/postgraduate studies, exposure risk and field of study are significantly associated with vaccine sentiments. Students who are Chinese citizens or studied in Chinese Universities prior to joining NUS are more hesitant, while students of Indian descent or studied in India are less hesitant about vaccination. Side effects, safety issues and vaccine choice are the major concerns of the hesitant group. Hence, this study would facilitate the development of strategies that focus on these determinants to enhance vaccine acceptance.

Automated summary

The COVID-19 vaccination sentiments of graduate students from NUS, who are citizens of 54 different countries, reveal significant associations between factors like citizenship, religion, country of study, exposure risk, and field of study with vaccine hesitancy. Chinese citizens or those who studied in China are more hesitant, while students of Indian descent or who studied in India show less hesitancy towards vaccination. Side effects, safety concerns, and vaccine choice are major concerns for the hesitant group, highlighting the need for targeted strategies focusing on these determinants to improve vaccine acceptance.