The purpose of this paper is to elucidate how the rumors and hoaxes surrounding the coronavirus vaccination spread among people in their 20s to 40s as well as the level of their influence on people’s decision to be vaccinated through an internet survey. The results of the survey are as follows.
– Those who have “read or heard” such rumors/hoaxes account for as much as 71% of the entire respondents. Among rumors/hoaxes, “vaccination causes infertility” has the highest percentage of respondents who have done so.
– Of those having “read or heard” rumors/hoaxes, 5% “believed” them while 42% “half believed.” Among rumors/hoaxes, “the safety of vaccines is not confirmed yet because the clinicals trials have not been completed” had the highest percentage of people who “believed” or “half believed” it (60% of those having read or heard about it).
– Of those having “read or heard” rumors/hoaxes, 20% told their family members or others any rumors/hoaxes. The most-cited reason for this action is “just as a topic of conversation, and the second is “I wanted to share my anxiety.”
– Likewise, 7% have thought about “refusing” vaccination, and 28% “procrastinating” due to rumors/hoaxes. Among the responses to a question on what rumors/hoaxes made them hesitant, the most-cited one is “the safety of vaccines is not confirmed yet because the clinicals trials have not been completed.”
– Among people who became hesitant to get vaccinated after reading or hearing rumors/hoaxes, the main factors that made them change their minds were “anxiety about infection” and “peer pressure,” and the effect of counter-rumor/hoax information was only limited.
– Many people who once got trapped into vaccine hesitancy changed their mind and took a jab out of the “anxiety about infection” or “peer pressure.” It is found the effect of counter-rumor/hoax information is only limited.