SWS: 50% of Filipinos find COVID-19 vaccination pace ‘slow’

Fifty percent of adult Filipinos said the pace of the COVID-19 vaccination rollout in the country was slow, results of a Social Weather Stations survey showed.

The SWS poll, conducted from June 23 to 26, 2021, revealed that 35% of Filipinos said the vaccination pace is somewhat slow, 15% said it is too slow, and 45% said it is alright.

Fifty-one percent of Filipinos said the inoculation pace in their own barangays was slow (29% somewhat slow and 21% too slow, correctly rounded), and 41% said the pace is alright.

In their own city or municipality, 44% said the vaccination pace is slow (31% somewhat slow, 13% too slow), and 49% said it is alright.

Meanwhile, 68% of Filipinos said they have easy access to a COVID-19 vaccination site in their area, 3% said they have access but it is difficult, and 29% said they have no access at all.

SWS said those who complain about the slow pace of vaccination are more prevalent among those with either difficult or no access to a vaccination site than those with easy access.

SWS said the percentage of those who consider the vaccination pace in the country to be slow is highest in Metro Manila with 57%, followed by Balance Luzon with 55%, the Visayas with 51%, and Mindanao with 33%.

The percentage of those who consider the inoculation pace in their own barangay to be slow is highest in the Visayas with 58%, followed by Balance Luzon with 53%, Mindanao with 48%, and Metro Manila with 39%.

Further, the percentage of those who consider the vaccination pace in their own city or municipality to be slow is highest in the Visayas with 50%, followed by Balance Luzon with 46%, Mindanao with 39%, and Metro Manila with 35%.

The survey was conducted using face-to-face interviews of 1,200 Filipino adults, with 300 each in Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

The sampling error margins were at ±3% for national percentages and ±6% for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

The government has so far been dealing with a less than adequate supply of COVID-19 jabs to inoculate 70% percent of the country's population.

The Philippines started its COVID-19 vaccination program last March 1.

A total of 12.56 million Filipinos have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

As of August 15, a total of 27,806,881 doses have been administered, regardless of whether it was the first or second dose, or a single-dose vaccine, the National Task Force Against COVID-19 said.

Of this number, 12,565,017 individuals are considered fully vaccinated. The number of first doses that have been administered stood at 15,241,864. — DVM, GMA News