Citizens waited to get vaccinated against COVID-19 flock to SM Masinag in Antipolo City on Thursday, Aug. 5, 2021, on the eve of the two-week lockdown that would be imposed from Aug.6 to 20, to curb the spread of the Delta variant of the coronavirus. (File photo by GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE / Philippine Daily Inquirer)
MANILA, Philippines — More Filipinos are willing to get vaccinated against COVID-19, according to a “Tugon ng Masa” nationwide face-to-face survey conducted July 12 to 18 by OCTA Research.
The survey found that 53% of 1,200 respondents aged 18 and above would willing to get vaccinated with a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine. This is an increase of 34 percentage points from the 19% result of a survey conducted in January.
On the other hand, the number of those who said they would not get vaccinated decreased by 30% from the previous quarter.
READ: Only 25% of Metro Manila respondents willing to get COVID vaccine — survey
“The survey utilizes a sampling design that allows for a 95% level of confidence with a margin of error at ±3%,” OCTA research said.
The survey showed that Balance Luzon has the biggest shift in the percentage of adult Filipinos with the intent to get vaccinated. While across socio-economic classes, the rate of adult Filipinos who are willing to get vaccinated ranged from 51% to 56%.
A significant increase in the willingness to get vaccinated was also observed in socio-economic class D.
Adult Filipinos in Metro Manila and socio-economic class ABC have relatively higher rates of willingness to get vaccinated, 39% and 27%, respectively.
Meanwhile, one in every five adult Filipinos is still undecided whether to get vaccinated or not.
Uncertainty about vaccine safety remains the top reason why some Filipinos do not want to get vaccinated
According to the survey results, of the respondents who do not intend to get vaccinated, 78% cited the safety of COVID-19 vaccines as the reason for their choice.
This was also the top reason for 80% of adult Filipinos who were interviewed in January.
On the other hand, 22% cited the effectiveness of the vaccines as the reason for not wanting to get vaccinated.
“There were also mentions of a vaccine not being needed to combat COVID-19 (5%), the vaccine being costly (2%), and the vaccine not being free (1%),” OCTA said.
The Visayas has the highest number of respondents — or 84% — who said they were not sure if the vaccine is safe. On the other hand, 29% remained skeptical of the vaccines’ efficiency.
This is followed by Mindanao at 77% and 22%, respectively.
Similar to the first quarter findings, Class D and E are more concerned with the safety of the vaccine — 80% and 81%, respectively — compared to Class ABC at 52%.
Concern about the efficacy of the vaccine is higher in Class ABC at 41%, compared to Class D and E at 21% and 15%, respectively.
On July 15, a survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations also showed an increase in vaccine willingness at 45%. But this still showed a major increase compared to results in May which only showed 35% — or only three out of 10 Filipinos.
READ: More Filipinos willing to get COVID-19 vaccine, latest SWS survey shows
The Philippines earlier recorded its highest daily number of COVID-19 cases so far at 18,332, which brought the active cases nationwide to 130,352.
As of Aug. 23, the total COVID-19 cases stood at 1,857,646, with 31,961 death and 1,695,335 recoveries.