The role of attitudes, norms, and efficacy on shifting covid‐19 vaccine intentions: A longitudinal study of covid‐19 vaccination intentions in New Zealand

Abstract

While public intentions to get a COVID‐19 vaccine have been shifting around the world, few studies track factors that help us understand and improve COVID‐19 vaccine uptake. This study focuses on identifying changing public intentions to get a COVID‐19 vaccine in New Zealand, a country that has been largely successful in containing the pandemic but risks new outbreaks as less than 20% of the population is fully vaccinated by August 2021. Data on COVID‐19 intentions were collected just after the vaccine approval and rollout targeting old‐age groups in February 2021 and then before the general public rollout in May 2021 (N = 650, 60% reinterview response rate). Results show that intention to get a COVID‐19 vaccine increased in three months and was the highest in the last one year. Consistent with the Theory of Planned Behaviour, attitudes and efficacy beliefs were significantly associated with COVID‐19 vaccine intentions, in the cross‐sectional as well as longitudinal analyses. Findings highlight the persisting influence of attitudes, efficacy beliefs, and past intentions on future decision‐making process to get a COVID‐19 vaccine. Future research opportuni-ties to understand vaccine intentions and improve public vaccine uptake are highlighted.