More adult Filipinos inclined to get COVID-19 jab – Pulse

MANILA, Philippines — The number of adult Filipinos willing to get vaccinated against COVID-19 doubled in June, according to the latest survey by Pulse Asia.

The poll, fielded from June 7 to 16, found 43 percent of Filipinos who are inclined to get COVID-19 shots, significantly higher than the 16 percent in February.

The rest of Filipino adults are either not going to get a COVID-19 vaccine (36 percent), are unable to say whether or not they will get vaccinated (16 percent) or are already vaccinated (five percent), either fully (two percent) or partially (three percent), Pulse Asia said.

Most or 55 percent of Metro Manilans and sizable pluralities to near majorities in Mindanao (48 percent), Class ABC (50 percent) and Class D (42 percent) will get a vaccine against COVID-19 now that vaccines are available in the country, it said.

Almost half of Visayans (49 percent) say otherwise.

Around the same percentages of those in the rest of Luzon and Class E will either get a vaccine against COVID-19 (both at 38 percent) or they will not (39 percent and 44 percent, respectively), the survey showed.

Among those who are not getting vaccinated and those undecided on the matter, the most often cited reason for vaccine hesitancy is concern about its safety – 69 percent and 79 percent, respectively, Pulse Asia said.

This is the predominant reason across geographic and socio-economic areas among those not inclined to get a COVID-19 jab (59 percent to 76 percent and 57 percent to 80 percent, respectively) and those who cannot say whether or not they will get vaccinated (57 percent to 85 percent and 76 percent to 95 percent, respectively), the pollster added.

Meanwhile, nearly the same percentages of those not getting a COVID-19 vaccine would change their mind on the matter either when they see that their relatives, friends and/or acquaintances who have gotten a vaccine are safe (35 percent) or when their doctor or health care provider assures them about the safety of vaccines (33 percent).

The survey also showed that the top reason that would convince those undecided to get vaccinated is seeing that those they know who have gotten a vaccine against COVID-19 are safe (44 percent).

Pulse Asia said nearly the entire adult population in the country or 96 percent is concerned that they or any member of their household will get COVID-19, with 69 percent being “very much” worried about this possibility.

Across geographic areas and socio-economic classes, concern about contracting COVID-19 is basically universal – 96 percent to 98 percent and 96 percent to 97 percent, respectively, it said.

The survey used face-to-face interviews of 2,400 representative adults, 18 years old and above, nationwide. It has a margin of error of plus or minus two percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level. –  Alexis Romero