In January 2020, the World Health Organization declared the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak to be a public health emergency. More than 500 million cases and more than 6 million deaths have been reported, with these numbers growing each day. A major public health initiative for controlling the COVID-19 pandemic was vaccine development and distribution, with multiple vaccines now available for people 6 months of age and older. However, vaccination hesitancy persists in the United States and threatens the containment of the virus and public health. Young adults aged 18 to 30 are a priority population prone to COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, and efforts to examine vaccination perceptions among this population early in the vaccine distribution process were needed for effective intervention development and for future outbreak considerations. Manuscript I is a quantitative study that applied the Reasoned Action Approach health behavior theory to determine factors associated with vaccination intentions during the first five months of vaccine distribution. Results were used to develop a university-wide communication campaign in real-time. Manuscript II is a qualitative content analysis that explored perceived disadvantages of COVID-19 vaccination and the role of common COVID-19 vaccine myths and misinformation. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]