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Global vaccination coverage is an urgent need to recover the recent pandemic COVID-19. However, people are concerned about the safety and efficacy of this vaccination program. Thus, it has become crucial to examine the knowledge, attitude, and hesitancy towards the vaccine. An online cross-sectional survey was conducted among university students of Bangladesh. Total of 449 university students participated. Most of these students used the internet (34.74%), social media (33.41%), and electronic media (25.61%) as a source of COVID-19 vaccine information. Overall, 58.13% and 64.81% of university students reported positive knowledge and attitude towards the COVID-19 vaccine. 54.34% of these students agreed that the COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective. 43.88% believed that the vaccine could stop the pandemic. The Spearman’s Rank correlation determined the positive correlation between knowledge and attitude. The negative correlation was determined between positive knowledge and hesitancy, and positive attitude and hesitancy. University students with positive knowledge and attitude showed lower hesitancy. Multiple logistic regression analyses determined the university type and degree major as the predictors of knowledge, whereas only degree major was the predictor of attitudes. 26.06% of the study population showed their hesitancy towards the vaccine. University type and degree major were also determined as predictors of this hesitancy. They rated fear of side effects (87.18%) and lack of information (70.94%) as the most reasons for the hesitancy. The findings from this study can aid the ongoing and future COVID-19 vaccination plan for university students. The national and international authorities can have substantial information for a successful inoculation campaign.

Abstract Introduction COVID‐19 has become a global public health concern. Safe and effective vaccines are required to control the pandemic. However, positive perception toward the vaccine is also necessary for a successful vaccination effort. Objective A rapid online survey was conducted to evaluate the status and perception toward the newly administered COVID‐19 vaccine among the adult population (18 years and above) of Bangladesh. Methods A total of 850 adult people participated. χ2 or Fisher's exact test was performed to determine the association between the first dose of vaccination and sociodemographic information. Logistic regression analyses were carried out to examine the predictors of knowledge, attitude, and hesitation toward the vaccine. Results Exactly 24.12% of the study population received their first dose of COVID‐19 vaccine, whereas 30.23% expressed hesitation about pursuing the vaccine. Older age groups (>70%), married people (49.62%), capital Dhaka city outsiders (32.76%), and high‐income groups (>50%) received the vaccine much higher than their counter group. Age, marital status, educational attainment, monthly income, and prior COVID‐19 positive status were all significantly associated with the knowledge regarding the vaccine. Only age (>55 years age group = aOR: 4.10; 95% CI: 1.30, 14.31) and level of knowledge (poor knowledge = aOR: 0.17; 95% CI: 0.12, 0.23) were significant determinants of attitudes. In case of hesitation, age group and monthly income were found as significant determinants. Fear of adverse consequences (86.67%) was the most common reason for hesitation, followed by insufficient information (73.85%). Conclusion This study sought to determine the status and perception of the newly administered COVID‐19 vaccine to aid in the current inoculation campaign's effectiveness. Collaboration between academics, government officials, and communities is essential in developing a successful COVID‐19 vaccination program for the entire population. The authority should develop effective strategies to ensure the implementation of its policy of widespread COVID‐19 vaccination coverage.