DOH: Public’s worry over COVID-19 an opportunity to encourage vaccination

The results of a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showing many Filipinos remain worried about catching COVID-19 shows that there is an opportunity to encourage more individuals to get vaccinated, the Department of Health (DOH) said Friday.

In a survey conducted April 28 to May 2 this year, weeks into the country’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout, 89% of respondents said they were still worried about contracting the respiratory illness and 49% believed the worst of the pandemic “is yet to come.”

At a virtual briefing, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the DOH would view the survey results in a “positive light.”

“Base sa SWS survey, [the public] still has that perception of risk and because they perceive na ang (that) COVID-19 is still a risk, we can take that opportunity para mas i-encourage sila magpabakuna (to encourage them to get vaccinated),” she said.

Vergeire stressed that vaccination and adherence to health protocols will help contain the transmission of COVID-19.

“Kami po ay humihikayat sa ating publiko na tayo po ay magpabakuna na kung eligible tayo (We encourage the public to get vaccinated if they are already eligible),” she said.

Currently, the Philippines’ vaccination campaign is focused on the top priority groups—health workers, senior citizens, persons with comorbidities, and essential workers.

Over 3.9 million individuals have been inoculated since the launch of the vaccination campaign in March. 

Another SWS poll also found that 35% of Filipinos remain unsure about getting a COVID-19 jab, mainly due to reports of fatalities, distrust of the vaccines, and comorbidities. — RSJ, GMA News