Table 2.
Descriptive statistics and PPG scores by behavioral outcome for each of the 46 belief items
| Beliefs | Mean | SD | PPG for vaccine acceptance | PPG for recommendation intention |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall, the vaccine would be safe for me. | 4.03 | 1.16 | 19.04 | 16.55 |
| The vaccine would effectively prevent me from catching the coronavirus. | 3.33 | 1.24 | 17.87 | 17.01 |
| I am likely to experience severe side effects. | 2.59 | 1.15 | 6.33 | 5.68 |
| I feel confident in my ability to explain the science behind the vaccines to patients. | 3.18 | 1.25 | 12.96 | 16.56 |
| I feel confident in my ability to explain the FDA emergency authorization process to patients. | 3.08 | 1.27 | 11.82 | 14.94 |
| I feel confident in my ability to explain the vaccines’ pros and cons to patients. | 3.46 | 1.23 | 13.43 | 15.97 |
| If I get the early versions of the vaccine, it would be less effective than later versions. | 2.30 | 1.00 | 3.11 | 4.1 |
| Vaccination could lead to birth defects. | 2.31 | 1.07 | 6.81 | 7.23 |
| Vaccination could permanently alter my DNA. | 1.65 | 1.01 | 4.17 | 4.31 |
| COVID-19 is caused by 5G and is a form of radiation poisoning transmitted through radio waves. | 1.36 | 0.81 | 1.97 | 3.02 |
| Vaccination will make it easier for the government to track and monitor my movements. | 1.54 | 0.99 | 4.12 | 4.21 |
| Even if I take the vaccine, the immunity that it provides would not last long. | 2.58 | 1.14 | 7.98 | 7.7 |
| If I take the vaccine, the live virus it contains might infect people around me. | 1.49 | 0.87 | 2.56 | 3.26 |
| The vaccine has been forced upon me. | 1.64 | 1.08 | 5.41 | 5.62 |
| I’m afraid that I will get sterilized after getting vaccinated. | 1.58 | 0.99 | 3.66 | 3.79 |
| The COVID-19 vaccines were developed much faster than usual because of political pressure. | 3.03 | 1.34 | 12.33 | 12.46 |
| Politics have a larger influence than science on vaccine approval and distribution. | 3.07 | 1.31 | 8.94 | 8.91 |
| Big pharmaceutical companies want to profit from the COVID-19 vaccines. | 3.37 | 1.22 | 6.23 | 6.42 |
| The approval process was too hasty. | 2.51 | 1.30 | 11.62 | 11.12 |
| Negative information about the vaccine is being withheld from the public. | 2.36 | 1.26 | 10.55 | 9.94 |
| People are deceived about the vaccines---they have more risks than often portrayed. | 2.24 | 1.22 | 8.15 | 8.05 |
| There is limited reliable information about the vaccines’ effectiveness and safety. | 2.62 | 1.36 | 11.47 | 11.93 |
| We do not know yet whether the new technology (mRNA) used to produce some of the approved COVID-19 vaccines is safe. | 2.63 | 1.31 | 12.65 | 12.44 |
| There is conflicting or contradictory information about the vaccines’ effectiveness and safety. | 2.80 | 1.35 | 9.29 | 10.57 |
| Arguments about the pros and the cons of the vaccines are equally strong and convincing. | 2.35 | 1.18 | 3.88 | 5.13 |
| People who have already been tested positive for COVID-19 can skip the vaccine. | 1.74 | 1.02 | 5.46 | 4.42 |
| If I get vaccinated earlier than others, I will put myself at higher risks. | 1.75 | 0.98 | 1.73 | 3.05 |
| If I get the vaccine, I will join others’ efforts in bringing our life back to normal soon. | 4.21 | 1.09 | 15.21 | 13.82 |
| If I get the vaccine, I will help achieve herd immunity. | 4.07 | 1.12 | 16.27 | 15.7 |
| If I get the vaccine, I will help protect other vulnerable people in my community. | 4.25 | 1.07 | 14.4 | 13.53 |
| If I get the vaccine, I will be putting something unnatural into my body. | 2.58 | 1.30 | 9.76 | 8.71 |
| If I get the vaccine, I will be taking in harmful biomedical materials. | 2.00 | 1.17 | 7.8 | 6.91 |
| Most of my colleagues are willing to get the vaccines when they arrive. | 3.97 | 1.02 | 5.31 | 7.36 |
| Most health professionals in the US would choose to get the vaccine when vaccines become available. | 3.96 | 0.96 | 8.24 | 9.27 |
| Most people who are important to me think I should get the vaccine. | 3.82 | 1.29 | 17.62 | 17.19 |
| I will be judged by others in my profession if I refuse to get the vaccine. | 3.15 | 1.27 | −1.28 | 0.14 |
| If I get the current approved vaccines, they will be outdated when new variants of the virus get widely spread. | 2.58 | 1.10 | 5.05 | 4.57 |
| Even if I get the vaccine, it will not be strong enough to protect me from getting infected with the new variants. | 2.73 | 1.12 | 6.54 | 6.56 |
| If most people are vaccinated, I do NOT need to get the vaccine. | 1.67 | 0.99 | 4.87 | 3.94 |
| If everyone gets the vaccine, I will be protected anyway even without getting vaccinated myself. | 1.80 | 1.05 | 3.77 | 3.18 |
| The virus is a hoax. | 1.44 | 0.87 | 2.83 | 3.23 |
| The virus is manmade. | 2.27 | 1.34 | 7.94 | 6.56 |
| The spread of the virus is a deliberate attempt by governments to gain political control. | 1.89 | 1.24 | 7.86 | 7.36 |
| The spread of the virus is a deliberate attempt by a group of powerful people to take control. | 1.90 | 1.24 | 7.35 | 6.5 |
| The spread of the virus is a deliberate attempt by a group of powerful people to make money. | 1.84 | 1.19 | 6.94 | 6.43 |
| The government is trying to cover up the link between vaccines and autism. | 1.66 | 1.01 | 4.22 | 4.14 |
Note: The response options were strongly disagree, disagree, neither disagree nor agree, agree, strongly agree.