THREE out of 10 Filipinos are equally willing, unwilling, and uncertain if they will agree to be vaccinated against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the April 28 to May 2 survey of the Social Weather Station (SWS) showed.
The SWS survey results are about twice the number of those who are willing to be vaccinated if compared to the February 22 to March 3 survey of Pulse Asia, where only 16 percent said they are willing to be vaccinated and 61 percent said they are not willing to be vaccinated. Twenty-three percent said they are uncertain.
The First Quarter 2021 SWS survey, which involved 1,200 adult respondents nationwide with a sampling margin of error of ±3 percent, showed that 32 percent are willing to be vaccinated if given free Food and Drug Administration-approved vaccine against COVID-19; 33 percent are unwilling to be vaccinated; and 35 percent are uncertain.
More people from Metro Manila (41 percent) are willing to be vaccinated, followed by those in Mindanao (34 percent), the Visayas (32 percent), and Luzon (28 percent) while more people from the Visayas are not willing to be vaccinated with 38 percent, followed by Luzon (34 percent), Mindanao (30 percent), and Metro Manila (29 percent).
Forty-one percent of those who are willing to be vaccinated said it is for their safety and protection against COVID-19, followed by 30 percent who want to avoid contracting the deadly virus, and 9 percent who are concerned with their family’s safety and protection against COVID-19.
Six percent said they are willing to be vaccinated to stop the spread of the virus and because it is required in their workplace, 5 percent said the vaccines are safe and proven effective, and 4 percent said they are willing to be vaccinated to be able to go out, and because the vaccine is available for free.
Three percent said they are following what is required, 2 percent said they already got their COVID-19 vaccine, and 1 percent said because others already got it.
For those who are unwilling to be vaccinated, 39 percent said they are afraid of the possible side effects; 21 percent said the vaccines are not safe and effective; and 11 percent said they fear they might die, are afraid or do not trust the vaccine, and either have comorbidity or already too old.
Other reasons why they refused to be vaccinated is because they have heard of negative feedback about the vaccines (6 percent), they might get sick or get COVID-19 (3 percent), they are healthy or not sick (2 percent), and they just do not like or need it (1 percent).
The SWS also found out that 51 percent of Filipinos are confident about the government’s evaluation of the COVID-19 vaccines while 17 percent are not confident.
