10 to 15% Filipinos still hesitant to get vaccinated vs. COVID-19 —DOH exec

Only around 10 to 15% Filipinos are still hesitant to get inoculated against COVID-19, which is a decline from the 35% vaccine hesitancy recorded during the first months of national vaccination, Health Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega said Sunday.

He added that most Filipinos who still refuse COVID-19 vaccines have "personal belief" that it may harm them. The Department of Health (DOH) had already assured the public that all government-approved COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective. 

“Yung umpisa ng pagbakuna natin, mataas talaga 'yung vaccine hesitancy natin. Nasa mga 35% iyon. Pero sa karamihan sa mga vaccine hesitant, tinitignan muna nila kung safe ba talaga o kung effective ba ito," said Vega over Dobol B TV.

(We had high vaccine hesitancy when we first started. It is about 35% but most of these vaccine hesitant people are doubtful on the safety of vaccines.)

"But actually nag-improve na ito through the months. Noong nagbakuna na tayo, kumokonti na 'yung 35% na 'yan. Umaabot na nasa 10% to 15% na lamang 'yung talagang hindi magpabakuna," he added.

(It improved through the months. When we started vaccinating, the 35% decreased, and now only 10 to 15% refuse to get inoculated.)

Vega added that they aim to fully vaccinate 65% to 70% of the country's population by the end of the year. He said the government also expects to fully inoculate 80% of the population by next year, following the vaccination of young adults.

The health official also reiterated the government's National Vaccination Days this last week November, which seeks to administer 1 million vaccines per day.

Malacañang said the 3-day national vaccination drive against COVID-19 from November 29 to December 1 may be declared non-working days. 

At least 31 million Filipinos have completed their COVID-19 jabs, still far off the target of herd immunity.

The DOH on Saturday recorded 1,997 new COVID-19 infections, bringing the nationwide tally to 2,815,080.

Of this number, 29,382 are active; 2,740,426 recovered; and 45,272 died. —KG, GMA News