The role of risk perception and ability to detect fake news in acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine among students of Shiraz university, Iran

ABSTRACT

Introduction: During health crises, such as Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the spread of fake news and rumors makes it difficult to distinguish real news. Besides, despite dangers, some endanger public safety by avoiding vaccination. It is not clear to what extent the individuals understand the dangers, and are influenced by the fake news. To elucidate the causes of this risky behavior, this study examined the role of fake news detection and risk perception in vaccine acceptance among students of Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.