Using the Health Belief Model to examine travelers' willingness to vaccinate and support for vaccination requirements prior to travel.

Data from a survey of 1478 travelers and multistep group structural equation model analysis revealed that the Health Belief Model constructs of cues to action (trust in third-party information sources), perceived severity of and susceptibility to COVID-19, and beliefs about the protection benefits of a COVID-19 vaccine, subsequently elicited willingness to vaccinate and beliefs that others should vaccinate prior to travel and enhanced support for pre-travel vaccination mandates. Also, significant differences in the perceived protection benefits of the vaccine and willingness to vaccinate were found across groups of travelers who travel more or less frequently and those with and without a prior positive test for COVID-19. The study provides a theoretically informed understanding of the dynamics that may enable the success of important health-related travel policy in the wake of COVID-19 and future pandemics and identifies the communication mechanisms that must be leveraged by governments and travel authorities in enforcing policy. • Little research examines travelers' support for vaccination requirements prior to travel. • Studies have yet to investigate the impact of travelers' willingness to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. • Health Belief Model explains the influence of perceived severity and susceptibility to COVID-19 on vaccination intentions. • Trust in the information about COVID-19 risks from government, science, and media sources influence travelers' beliefs. • Beliefs about severity and susceptibility to COVID-19 significantly differ for those with a prior positive COVID-19 test. • Willingness to vaccinate and support for pre-travel vaccination is significantly stronger those who travel more frequently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]