13% of Pinoys still unwilling to get COVID jab

Three years into the pandemic and millions of adult Filipinos are still unwilling to get vaccinated against COVID-19, a survey conducted by Social Weather Stations (SWS) showed.

Results of the Dec. 10 to 14 survey released on Thursday night showed that 13 percent of the respondents or an estimated 9.5 million have not received any dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

Of that number, some 69 percent said they were still not willing to get vaccinated against the viral illness. Only 12 percent said they were willing, while 19 percent were undecided.

Nevertheless, the survey found that a majority of adult Filipinos received at least two doses of the COVID-19 jab.

About 57 percent of the respondents or an estimated 41.4 million said they received two doses, while 17 percent or an estimated 12.4 million received one booster shot.

Some six percent or an estimated 4.3 million already got their second booster shot.

The remaining six percent or an estimated 4.4 million said they received just the first dose.

SWS said the status of vaccination hardly moved from April to December 2022.

Out of the 64 percent (six percent plus 57 percent, rounded off) who said they received either one or two doses, only 32 percent said they were willing to get a booster shot.

Some 44 percent said they were not willing to get a third dose, while the remaining 24 percent were undecided.

Meanwhile, willingness to get a fourth dose is very high among the 17 percent who already got their first booster shot.

Some 55 percent said they were also willing to get a second booster shot. Thirty-two percent were unwilling, while 13 percent were undecided.

The 2022 Fourth Quarter survey had 1,200 adult respondents and an error margin of plus/minus 2.8 percent.