Addressing the global challenge of vaccine hesitancy, amplified during the COVID-19 pandemic due to misinformation propagated via social media, necessitates innovative health communication strategies. This investigation scrutinizes the efficacy of Short, Animated, Story-based (SAS) videos in fostering knowledge, behavioral intent, and engagement around COVID-19 vaccination. We conducted an online three-arm parallel randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving 792 adult participants (≥18 …