Date of Award

Spring 4-20-2022

Document Type

Honors Thesis

Department/Major

Chemistry

First Advisor

Angela Landeen

Second Advisor

Beate Wone

Third Advisor

Thomas Horton

Keywords

COVID-19, Vaccine, Perception, Hesitancy, Pandemic Media

Abstract

In this thesis, we will explore the current understanding and misinformation regarding the COVID-19 vaccination in South Dakota. Using these findings, we will be able to identify underlying factors influencing the perception of vaccines in 18-24-year-olds. My goal is to identify underlying influences in the creation of COVID-19 vaccine perception of 18-24-year old’s.

The research consisted of three segments. First, I administered a survey to various 18-24-year old individuals on their current perception of the COVID-19 vaccine. After data collection, we analyzed the major areas of social influence. The second part consisted of gathering information related to the COVID-19 vaccines such as perceptions regarding various aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic and testimonies of individuals on their vaccine perception. We also investigated previous vaccine campaigns to identify underlying factors that could be used to predict vaccine hesitancy. The final part of the thesis focuses on using the information we gathered to assess the reasons for vaccination hesitancy and what influences individual’s perceptions of the vaccine.

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