2021-2022 Faculty Research Grant

Shawna Henry, Melinda Nwanganga (Nursing), Mordekai Ongo (Office of Research), and Jimmy Kijai (Graduate Psychology and Counseling)

COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Among Students and Employees in Midwestern Universities.

Vaccination has become a part of the multi-faceted public health response to mitigate the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Efforts to vaccinate all or large segments of university campuses will be effective only if members of these institutions are willing to get vaccinated. This study aims to identify whether students, faculty, and staff across multiple universities intend to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and to understand the factors that influence these decisions. We will use survey research method with online survey questionnaire to collect data from a minimum sample size of 252, as indicated through power analysis. Items for the online survey will be generated from a comprehensive review of the literature on vaccine hesitancy. Best practice procedures for establishing validity and reliability will be followed. As the virus continues to spread and new strands are emerging, understanding factors influencing vaccine hesitancy may help public health efforts as well as higher education institutions to strategize on how to intervene and control/reduce the rate of infection.