SWS: 66% of Pinoys willing to get vaccine vs COVID-19

Three out of five Filipinos are willing to get the COVID-19 vaccine if it becomes available now, results of the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey show.

The survey, conducted from Sept. 17 to Sept. 20, found that 66 percent of adult Filipinos are willing to get vaccinated against COVID-19, with 32 percent who “definitely would get the vaccine” and 34 percent who “probably would get the vaccine.”

Thirty-one percent are not willing to get the vaccine, with 14 percent who “probably would not get the vaccine” and 17 percent who “definitely would not get the vaccine.”

SWS used mobile phone and computer-assisted telephone interviews of 1,249 Filipinos 18 years old and above nationwide.

By age group, the willingness to get vaccinated is highest among 25 to 34 years old at 70 percent, followed by the 18 to 24 years old at 68 percent, 45 to 54 years old at 65 percent, 55 years old and above at 65 percent and 35 to 44 years old at 61 percent.

Men are more willing to get vaccinated at 71 percent than women at 60 percent.

The survey had a sampling margin of error of plus or minus 3 percent.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the Palace was pleased with the results of the SWS poll.

“We view this as a positive development,” Roque said in a statement.

All should get vaccine

But he said the President wanted all Filipinos to get the vaccine, so he hopes more people would be willing to get vaccinated against the respiratory disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said the country might get a hold of a vaccine against the new coronavirus as early as the second quarter of next year once it is given the power to issue an emergency use authorization (EUA) to vaccine manufacturers.

FDA Director General Eric Domingo explained on Friday that once the EUA mechanism was in place, the process by which the vaccine can be procured would be hastened, especially if the manufacturer was able to get a similar authorization from “mature and reliable” regulatory agencies, such as the USFDA.

“We’ll be able to take a look at evaluations that are done by these mature and reliable regulatory agencies and that will hasten the process of having them available here,” Domingo said.

Earlier, he said that in the “best-case scenario,” a vaccine might become available by April 2021 “assuming [manufacturers] will complete all their analysis and submit immediately to the FDA.”

Meanwhile, House Bill No. 8017 filed by Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta Rep. Jericho Nograles sought to extend the validity of certain provisions of the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act until Dec. 31, 2022.

“To ensure continuity of the essential COVID-19 response and recovery interventions,” he said.

“For good measure, the government must have continuous access to funding to ensure that the Philippines will have the money to buy the vaccine without the need of enacting a new Bayanihan As One law,” Nograles said in a statement. —With reports from Leila B. Salaverria, Jovic Yee, Julie M. Aurelio and Inquirer Research