Assessment of Knowledge and Attitude Towards COVID-19 Vaccination Among University Students in Plateau State

Despite the global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, vaccine hesitancy among young adults remains a significant obstacle to achieving population immunity in Nigeria. This study assesses the level of knowledge and attitude towards COVID-19 vaccination among undergraduate students at the University of Jos, Plateau State, North Central Nigeria. A descriptive cross-sectional survey will be conducted using a validated, self-administered questionnaire distributed to 500 students selected through stratified random sampling across five faculties. The questionnaire covers awareness of vaccine types, perceived efficacy, safety concerns, and readiness to receive or recommend vaccination. Knowledge scores will be categorised as adequate or inadequate using a pre-determined cut-off, and attitudes will be assessed on a five-point Likert scale. Chi-square tests and multivariate regression will examine associations between knowledge, attitudes, and sociodemographic characteristics. National surveys conducted between 2021 and 2023 reveal that approximately 40 percent of Nigerian youths harbour hesitancy, often driven by misinformation and distrust of health authorities. Findings from this study will provide actionable data for designing targeted health communication campaigns for university campuses in the North Central zone. The study contributes to understanding vaccine behavioural drivers in Nigerian tertiary education contexts and supports evidence-based planning for future pandemic preparedness among youth populations. Keywords: COVID-19 vaccination, knowledge, attitude, vaccine hesitancy, university students